[Treatment planning. Learning to solve complicated dental problems]

The importance of comprehensive care treatment planning in dental undergraduate and graduate curricula has long been underestimated. With a decreasing prevalence of dental diseases an increasing interest in the subject has been recognized. Comprehensive care treatment planning requires a strategic approach to resolve a patient's problems in a logical sequence and at a a priori estimation of treatment time and costs. The strategy outlined in this work comprises a phasing of the treatment along urgency criteria. Initially, immediate problems are resolved, followed by microbial problems, functional problems, after which a maintenance plan is established. A treatment planning model is introduced to enable students to hold track of the overall treatment plan and to advice students how to address specific dental problems.