From hopeless to good prognosis: journey of a failing tooth

Chronic periodontitis, along with associated clinical findings such as pathologic tooth migration, diastema, functional and aesthetic aberrations, poses an immense challenge to a dental professional. These findings convert clinical decision making into a daunting task and adversely affect the prognosis and the treatment plan for the presenting clinical problem. An interdisciplinary approach aimed at restoring functional and aesthetic needs of the affected individual within the limitations of such a compromised clinical scenario may be a viable alternative to any radical treatment causing loss of natural tooth structure such as extraction. This article reports the usefulness of the interdisciplinary route for managing an otherwise hopeless clinical situation of chronic periodontitis complicated with extreme mobility and pathologic tooth migration, which resulted in compromised function and aesthetics.