Minimally Invasive Techniques for Managing Dental Caries in Children: Efficacy, Applications, and Future Directions

Abstract

Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID) represents a transformative approach in pediatric caries management, emphasizing tooth preservation, patient comfort, and preventive care over conventional invasive methods. The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the efficacy, clinical applications, and future directions of various MID techniques in children, including silver diamine fluoride (SDF), atraumatic restorative treatment (ART), the Hall Technique, resin infiltration, and bioactive restorative materials. These methods have shown considerable success in reducing treatment complexity and improving outcomes, especially for high-risk and special healthcare needs (SHCN) populations. A structured literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Search terms included "minimally invasive dentistry in children," "silver diamine fluoride pediatric caries," "atraumatic restorative treatment," and related techniques. Inclusion criteria encompassed clinical trials, systematic reviews, and expert consensus articles, while animal studies and those lacking rigorous methodology were excluded. Results indicate that MID techniques such as SDF can arrest caries in 80-90% of cases, while ART and the Hall Technique provide minimally invasive, cost-effective alternatives to conventional restorations. Resin infiltration improves esthetics and arrests lesion progression in non-cavitated teeth, while bioactive materials promote remineralization and pulp preservation. Emerging technologies, including laser-assisted caries removal, air abrasion, and AI-driven diagnostics, further enhance MID accessibility and precision. Despite promising outcomes, challenges such as clinician training deficits, parental concerns, and lack of long-term evidence persist. Future efforts should focus on addressing these barriers through research, education, and policy reform to facilitate the integration of MID into routine pediatric dental practice.

Keywords: atraumatic restorative treatment; bioactive materials; caries management; hall technique; minimally invasive dentistry; pediatric dentistry; resin infiltration; silver diamine fluoride (sdf); teledentistry.