Preventive and minimal intervention dentistry in the undergraduate curriculum.

OBJECTIVES

This paper illustrates the preventive and minimal intervention dentistry (MI) concepts with examples from cariology, but the philosophy is much wider and should have an impact across all dental specialties and the entire undergraduate curriculum. Collaboration between researchers, educators and clinical dentists is very important for the continuing improvement of dentistry.

METHODS

This paper considers the potential of preventive dentistry and "MI Dentistry" and then outlines a modern core cariology curriculum recently developed for use across Europe. Related initiatives from the ICDAS Foundation's ICCMS™ (International Caries Classification and Management System), the International Association for Dental Research and the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future (ACFF) are also outlined.

CONCLUSIONS

Preventive and minimal intervention dentistry are important topics, both for the present and increasingly for the future.