Conservative dentistry – restorative dentistry 

Conservative dentistry is a discipline of dental medicine that deals with prevention, diagnosis and treatment of caries meant to restore the correct tooth shape and functionality, apart from a pleasant appearance.
 
Its purpose is, as the name suggests, to preserve teeth in the mouth by first removing the carious tissue, and then restore the shape and function and, due to modern techniques, even the original appearance of dental elements. Restorations in conservative dentistry may be direct, carried out directly into the patient's mouth, or indirect, created in the lab by a technician and subsequently cemented into the mouth. Direct restoration is better known as dental filling (obturation).
 
For indirect restoration, as fillings are first made and only then cemented, more sessions are required. This is the ideal solution for rebuilding those teeth where caries have destroyed much dental substance. They are called inlays and are made of aesthetic restorative material.
 
Other indirect conservative restorations are custom-made shells (or veneers). There are highly aesthetic restorations, performed frontally, on central, lateral incisors and canines. Compared to crowns, the advantage is that the doctor, while preparing the teeth, removes a minimal quantity of dental tissue. They are only made in ceramics. This restorative method can completely change the morphology and colour, therefore the appearance of teeth and thus the appearance of the patients' smile.