Minimal intervention dentistry II: part 4. Minimal intervention techniques of preparation and adhesive restorations. The contribution of the sono-abrasive techniques.

The concept of minimal intervention in oral medicine is based on advances in biological sciences applied to the dental organ. Many cultural barriers, economic as well as technical, have thwarted the application of micro-invasive conservative techniques by the general practitioner. Emerging technologies do not remove all obstacles but promote the integration of less invasive techniques in daily practice. Sono-abrasion is a technique for the selective preparation of enamel and dentine offering excellent efficacy, quality and safety. The authors describe the therapeutic principles, the choice of instrumentation and its mode of action and discuss its interest in adhesive restorative dentistry. The illustrated clinical situations focus on the preservation and optimisation of tissue bonding for both initial lesions and advanced lesions.