HOPELESS PROGNOSIS?

Based on the pre-operative PA, many dentists would suggest to their patients that this tooth has a poor or hopeless prognosis. Clinically it had a 12 mm probing to the apex and radiographically it has a large apical lesion that was confirmed to extend around the entire MB root on CBCT. Even more concerning was that the lesion was not well centered around the root apex and was localized around the lateral root surface. Frequently patients like this are told “This tooth is fractured, it has to come out” without even attempting endodontic treatment. This case presents a great example of what root canal therapy can achieve and with less effort, time, and cost than a dental implant. The final PA is a 1 year recall.