Lasers in modern caries management--part II: CAMBRA

Part two of this series discussed the key strategies that each practice should focus on for caries management. History has proven that oral hygiene and "drilling and filling" alone will not eliminate dental caries. Chemical treatments to prevent and reverse early lesions and conservative, tooth-preserving restorative procedures when surgical intervention is necessary should be the new standard of care. Caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA), where risk factors are "re-balanced" to that of health, is a sound strategy that is one step closer to "curative" dentistry and improving the quality of life of dental patients. The final article in this series will discuss the role that glass-ionomer materials and hard tissue lasers play in the minimally invasive restorative procedures for dental caries.