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Restorative dentistry has experienced a shift from the mainly reparative dentistry of the 20th century towards a minimal intervention (MI) approach encompassing up-to-date caries diagnosis and risk assessment before arriving at a treatment decision. In the past, dental caries has been treated by surgical excision. Sound tooth structure had to be sacrificed to make up for the shortcomings of the available operative techniques and restorative materials with more insight into the caries progress, the advent of adhesive dentistry, and currently available techniques, prevention of caries and greater conservation of tooth structure are possible. A shift in philosophy from the traditional surgical model of excision to a more modern medical model of treating caries is occurring so. When operative care is indicated, it should be aimed at “Prevention of extension” rather than Black’s concept of “Extension for prevention”.
