An increasingly frequent dilemma in restorative dentistry is the question of whether to retain a badly damaged tooth and restore it or to remove and possibly replace it.
Given the ethical difficulties inherent in testing this question, it is unlikely that we will ever see a properly designed clinical trial that will provide an answer. One of the most strongly debated components of this question is whether endodontic treatment and restoration can compete with a dental implant-borne prosthesis in terms of longevity and success.
In deciding whether to extract a tooth or restore it endodontically, the clinician must consider the quality of support the tooth will provide for planned restorations, the predicted longevity, and the role of the tooth in overall rehabilitation plans.
In this conference, I will attempt to provide practitioners with guidelines that might be applied to their daily practices.