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Endodontics Prosthodontics Restorative Dentistry Supporting Your Practice

To Retain or Extract a Tooth? Endo vs. Implants

Dr. Rakan Baaj presents a case where a decision had to be made to extract or retain a tooth for an implant. 

Dr. Baaj is a board certified Prosthodontist. He is a member of the American College of Prosthodontists and a Fellow-Elect of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. He teaches at the University of Toronto and he is a reviewer for a few journals in his field.

I hope you find the presentation useful. We always welcome your feedback, suggestions, and questions at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca

Until next time!

Chiraz Guessaier, CDA Oasis Manager

HIghlights

The question of whether or not to restore a tooth is in many cases the subject of debate. Often clinicians face the dilemma of whether to restore the tooth as is, or possibly have it endodontically treated, or to ultimately extract it and place a dental implant.

In this presentation, Dr. Baaj reviews some of the factors that come into play in deciding on the appropriate treatment path. This brief presentation discusses some of the clinical evaluations, keeping in mind that in difficult cases, it is always wise to seek a second opinion or refer cases to the appropriate specialist. 

Full Case Presentation (15.31″)

 

2 Comments

  1. Mark Antosz May 11, 2018

    This example patient has clearly had a lot of dentistry done, including losing teeth. One of the things I find really interesting (and dumbfounding) about cases similar to this is that not enough of us step back and ask, “Why does this patient have all these failing teeth?”. The answer will often come with understanding the consequences of occlusal disease. It’s something that doesn’t seem to be getting taught well in dental schools today but in my experience is the biggest reason I have so many 50+ year old patients showing up on my doorstep with failing dentitions despite years of extensive patchwork restorative dentistry. I’ve seen too many patients with multiple implants done and yet the occlusion was never properly addressed and things are still failing. IMHO extensive restorative, implants or even orthodontic care should not be done until you’ve identified the true nature of the malocclusion – and then and only then can you properly diagnose and treatment plan the case and hope for a good long term prognosis. So when you see someone like this, step back and have a good hard look at the whole picture.

    Reply
  2. rakan baaj May 23, 2018

    Mark, great comment. It’s absolutely important to address occlusion and the restorations done for patients. I totally agree that in dental school we don’t spend enough time teaching proper occlusion. Looking at the big picture to ensure a better prognosis rather than patching some restorations is a must to any case. It requires much experience and good patient education which we, as health providers, owe to our patients.

    Reply

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