Minimally invasive endodontics

The primary goal of endodontic therapy is the long-term retention of a functional tooth by preventing or treating apical periodontitis. However, there are many other factors that impact endodontic outcomes such as the quality of the restoration and structural integrity of the tooth after root canal preparation. Contemporary research efforts are currently directed to better understanding dentine behaviour and structure during aging and function. An alternative approach is to minimize structural changes during root canal therapy, which may result in a new strategy that can be labeled 'minimally invasive endodontics'. This paper focuses on describing minimally invasive dentistry in endodontics from a conceptual perspective, relating to diagnosis, access opening, instrumentation and obturation of the root canal system.   Key words: Minimally invasive dentistry, caries removal, pulpal diagnosis, periapical diagnosis, gouging.