Treatment planning in the 21st century: what's new?

Many variables affect treatment planning, and it is important for clinicians to consider why they plan certain procedures for patient care. New materials, technologies, and products are constantly being introduced and affect decision making in dentistry. In addition, patients are more informed, have higher esthetic concerns, and want a greater stake in treatment planning decisions than ever before. How dentists treatment plan needs to reflect the many influences on final treatment outcome. The purpose of this paper is to outline how treatment planning has changed in dentistry with the goal of providing the general dentist updated information to develop a cohesive treatment plan.