Secondary caries adjacent to the margin of a restoration
should be treated as a new primary lesion.2
As with all
patients who present with a new caries lesion, preventive
measures should be initiated, with operative intervention
being limited to situations where the lesion remains active
and is progressing through dentine or cavitation. Operative
intervention should be minimal and limited to that portion of
the adjacent restoration that is undermined by the caries or
hinders the access required for effective caries management.
The portion of the restoration that presents no clinical or
radiographic evidence of failure should be left in place unless
there is good clinical indication to resort to total restoration
replacement with its various consequences.