Chapter 9.2: Non-Operative Treatment of Coronal Caries

Abstract

Nonoperative treatment of coronal caries is defined as a series of nonoperative measures interfering with the initiation of new caries lesions and the rate of caries lesion progression. This treatment aims to keep the caries process at subclinical level and to arrest caries lesion progression at clinical and/or radiographic levels. This chapter considers the implementation of the nonoperative treatment of caries disease in daily practice with a focus on its biological determinants. The treatment planning is based on the information gathered through patients' anamnesis, clinical and radiographic examinations together with patients' risk assessment. For most caries inactive patients, the implementation of core measures of the nonoperative treatment is sufficient to control the caries disease, while for caries active patients both professionally and self-applied additional measures are required. Clinical cases illustrating successes and limitations of the nonoperative treatment for the whole dentition are presented. Patients/parents should take responsibility for their own or their child's oral health and the dental professional team should help them to achieve this goal. It is relevant that patients/parents understand that the nonoperative treatment of caries disease is evidence-based. Nevertheless, as any other treatment, successes and failures are likely to occur, and these are to a great extent dependent on patients'/parents' compliance. Finally, the dental team should keep its knowledge constantly updated to provide the best available treatment for their patients in daily practice.