Minimally Invasive Dentistry: Principles, Biomaterials, and Clinical Applications in Caries Management

This chapter articulates the scientific rationale and contemporary evidence underpinning minimally invasive dentistry as a paradigm for caries prevention, arrest, and restoration with maximal preservation of healthy tooth structure. It reviews the latest advances in caries detection technologies, including fluorescence-based and optical coherence tomography systems, and evaluates the clinical performance of modern minimally invasive restorative materials such as glass ionomer cements, resin-modified variants, and bioactive composites. Special emphasis is placed on the integration of preventive and remineralisation strategies — including silver diamine fluoride and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate — into a holistic minimally invasive treatment philosophy.