Guest Editorial

Abstract

It is very fitting that the Australian Dental Journal should publish this excellent and comprehensive special issue on minimum intervention dentistry, as this treatment approach can now be viewed as achieving its ‘majority’. The term ‘minimum intervention dentistry’ was first coined1 by the Adelaide University team of Tony Dawson and the late Owen Makinson in 1992,2, 3 following Adelaide author Graham Mount's 1991 paper4 on ‘minimal treatment’ of caries. As is evident, these early papers focused on the management of caries, but over the last 21 years the concept has been extended to other areas of dentistry, notably periodontics, oral pathology and oral surgery. Minimum intervention dentistry (MID) is now becoming a universally and widely practised treatment modality, especially in caries management.5-9 Kerrod Hallett and Ian Meyers, the editors of this special issue, have assembled a team of recognized experts in their various fields, with an emphasis on caries management. Andrew Brostek (Perth) and Laurie Walsh (Brisbane) write about the principles and practice of MID, Kerrod Hallett (Melbourne) discusses one of the most important elements of MID, that of caries risk assessment, and David Manton (Melbourne) discusses diagnosis of the early carious lesion. Dentistry is becoming increasingly dependent on technology transfer from other disciplines, and French author Herve Tassery describes the use of new MID technologies in caries management. Effective implementation of MID depends on the perspectives of other stakeholders in the delivery of dental care, and these are discussed by Hanny Calache (Melbourne; public health), John Kaidonis (Adelaide; academia), Ian Meyers (Brisbane; general practice, especially the management of tooth wear) and Stephen Haynes (Sydney; dental industry). This last perspective is critical, as manufacturers have a vital role in developing products which are appropriate to MID. Ivan Darby (Melbourne) writes on MID and periodontal disease risk assessment and Camile Farah (Brisbane) writes on MID and oral pathology risk assessment. I commend this special issue to all those involved in the delivery of dental care.