Policy on Minimally Invasive Dentistry

Policy statement

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry supports:

• MID as patient- and family-centered, risk-based chronic disease management within the dental home to facilitate and promote preventive and caries-management measures to achieve individualized behavioral and treatment goals.
• interventions that encourage remineralization (e.g., fluoride varnish).
• interventions that promote caries arrest (e.g., SDF, sealants).
• minimal intervention approaches including ITR until a definitive restoration is possible or the primary tooth exfoliates, as well as the use of Hall-technique stainless steel crowns.
• tooth-sparing approaches (e.g., resin infiltration, sealants) that prevent or delay the initiation of the restorative cycle.
• interventions that avoid pulp exposure in vital teeth.
• conventional restorative care, as minimal intervention approaches do not replace conventional restorations and require close monitoring of caries risk, active surveillance of caries lesions, monitoring for pain or signs/symptoms of infection, and more frequent professional recare.
• further research regarding the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive interventions for infants, children, adolescents, and individuals with SHCN.