Conservative dentistry is not a statement of political orientation. Conservative dentistry refers to the philosophy that it is best to conserve (keep, retain) natural tooth structure.

For example, if a tooth is salvagable by doing a filling or root canal, this is preferable over extracting the tooth and placing an implant.

Regular dental exams are an important part of conservative dentistry. By catching potential problems earlier, more tooth structure can be saved. If a cavity is caught early, it might be successfully treated with a filling. If it is allowed to progress, a root canal might be required. If left to progress still further, the tooth might not be salvagable.

Some cosmetic procedures such as teeth whitening and Invisalign are considered conservative procedures, since they do not cause the loss of tooth structure. Others, such a veneers, are not considered as conservative because natural tooth structure must be removed to place the veneers.