Restoring the endodontically treated tooth: Treatment planning considerations

The objective of this chapter is to provide different treatment considerations to guide the clinician in the practice of evidence-based dentistry when performing treatment plans for endodontically treated teeth. As some of the existing literature is not clinically relevant, one must understand the limitations of published studies as they apply to clinical dentistry. There are known clinical complications one could anticipate when attempting to restore a severely weakened vital or non-vital tooth with minimal residual sound tooth structure, incomplete ferrule, and fewer than two proximal contacts. The decision to endodontically treat a tooth should be based on its expected function within the entire dentition and whether or not it could predictably utilize its function for a long time. When the integrity of the enamel and dentin is compromised, one should consider coronal coverage, whether the tooth is vital or non- vital. Other chapters will discuss the different post and core materials and alternatives. Ultimately, it is our responsibility to inform the patient of the risks/benefi ts and effort involved in attempting to maintain and restore a tooth.