: Using semi-direct or indirect restorations for enamel replacement and reducing composite increment thickness (under 2mm) to manage polymerization stress.
| Principle | Key takeaway | |-----------|---------------| | | ICDAS + activity assessment | | Pre-op | Caries risk reduction first | | Anesthesia | Usually needed for selective removal | | Isolation | Rubber dam | | Caries removal | Selective (not complete) in deep lesions | | Cavity design | Conservative, no conventional retention | | Adhesion | Enamel etch + wet dentin bonding | | Lining | Only if deep → bioceramic | | Restoration | Layered composite | | Finishing | Multi-step polishing | | Recall | Repair, risk reassess, preventive reinforcement | : Using semi-direct or indirect restorations for enamel
: Utilizing advanced tools like digital radiography, laser fluorescence, and transillumination to identify lesions before irreversible damage occurs. Maria for a large cavity on her upper molar
One of her first patients to benefit from her new approach was a young woman named Sarah, who had been referred to Dr. Maria for a large cavity on her upper molar. Rather than preparing the tooth with a traditional drill and filling it with amalgam, Dr. Maria used a more conservative approach, removing only the decayed portion of the tooth and restoring it with a tooth-colored composite resin. who had been referred to Dr.