Case assessment and treatment planning: what governs your decision to treat, refer or replace a tooth that potentially requires endodontic treatment?

Several factors determine whether a tooth will require treatment by a general dentist, treatment by an endodontist or whether prosthodontic care is necessary after the tooth in question is extracted. This paper will present and discuss those factors, which govern the decisions made by the general dentist, and the resultant treatment options ranging from conservative endodontic therapy to the extraction of the offending tooth and its prosthodontic replacement. The impact of prognosis during endodontic therapy will also be discussed.