Endodontic and dental implant treatment: key considerations and comparisons

There remains huge variability in decision-making when it comes to whether a compromised tooth requiring endodontic treatment should be saved, or extracted and replaced with an implant. Both internal and external biases, as well as inconsistent data from clinical studies, further complicate this frequent clinical conundrum. This paper presents tangible outcomes for both root-filled teeth and dental implants, together with comparative research to help clinicians better understand the available data. It is hoped that we can also highlight the key considerations when treatment planning for both root-filled teeth and dental implants. Both treatment modalities have excellent survival rates, but at the same time, neither is a panacea. Holistic and thoughtful consideration is required to help guide patients to make well-informed choices regarding their treatment.