Minimal intervention (MI) dentistry is a modern dental practice designed around the principal aim of preservation of as much of the natural tooth structure as possible.
It uses a disease-centric philosophy that directs attention to first control and management of the disease that causes tooth decay—dental caries—and then to relief of the residual symptoms it has left behind—the decayed teeth.
Classical dietary and oral hygiene techniques of reducing sugar content and eating frequency, and removing plaque by effective brushing, are still very important practices for treatment as well as prevention.
[clarification needed] Agents such as chlorhexidine can help fight gum disease and thus reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth that are responsible for tooth decay.
After a wave of empirical studies on the efficacy of xylitol (a sugar alcohol), a consensus report in the British Dental Journal considered it to give a reduction in the risk of caries.
Constant remineralisation (hardening) with continuous application of fluoride toothpaste is highly common practice that reduces the impact of the caries on decay.
Various techniques exists for remineralisation, varying from simple application of fluoride to using special substances for filling materials that interact with the tooth to aid the process from within.