“Death spiral” is a secret term used by those adverse to the status quo of drilling and filling teeth. The tooth enters into a death spiral the first time a drill touches precious enamel. At some point practitioners find that their formal education has put them onto the treadmill of repair, restore, and redo until one day it becomes painfully obvious that another filling is not the answer. - See more at: http://www.dentalaegis.com/id/2009/06/diagnostics-economics-of-the-team-approach-how-to-guide-for-the-minimally-invasive-dental-practice#sthash.OPhwLadh.dpuf