Consensus recommendations on minimally invasive removal of carious tissue from dentine

Abstract

The International Caries Consensus Collaboration (ICCC) presented recommendations on terminology, methods of carious tissue removal and managing cavitated carious lesions. It identified 'dental caries' as the disease that dentists should manage by controlling the activity of existing cavitated lesions by preserving as much hard tissue as possible, maintaining pulp sensibility and retaining functional teeth in the long-term. The ICCC recommended the level of hardness as the criterion for determining the clinical consequences of the process of demineralisation and defined new strategies for the selective removal of carious tissue. The starting point is to effectively remove the biofilm from cavitated carious lesions. Only when cavitated carious lesions are either non-cleansable or can no longer be sealed, are restorative interventions indicated, with due regard for the principles of a minimally invasive approach. Applying a restoration facilitates biofilm removal, guards the pulpodental complex and restores form, function and aesthetics.