Teaser:
They look at you like, really? I thought implant would last till I was a hundred. How long anyone’s gonna last on this planet? But in my planning, I plan to age 100. So I see everyone as living to age 100. And so my planning, I don’t think this will make it, therefore–

Your health is within your own control. Also, it might be only 50%, 25%, but some of it’s within your own control. I want the patient to go on holiday and not be sitting there worrying about whether their tooth might be bothering and they have to go to a dentist and take antibiotics–

Jaz’s Introduction:
Endodontics versus Implants: is this even a worthy battle? Let’s be honest, right. Any implant dentist worth their salt would agree that for themselves or their family member where an Endo is feasible and you have a good prognosis, that that is the obvious choice first before having an implant, because an implant will still be an option for the future. And that’s pretty much easy and unanimous in dentistry. Unless of course your patient suffers from titanium deficiency disease.

Now where this becomes more pertinent is those dubious scenarios, lack of tooth structure, those nasty cracks we’ve particularly discussed these two scenarios. Whereby perhaps we should be considering implants. But wait, Dr. Omar Ikram may have a few things to say about that and why we should be considering perhaps root filling, retained roots, root burials, amputation, and a term I introduced called Palliative Endodontics. Why that might have a growing role so that we can defer implants because we know implants do not last forever, Endo doesn’t last forever, nothing lasts forever. So important about seeing the bigger picture when it comes to longevity.

Dental Pearl
Hello, Protruserati I’m Jaz Gulati. Welcome back to your favorite Dental podcast. Every PDP episode, I’ll give you a Protrusive Dental Pearl. Now, there is a theme in this podcast where we discuss about the age of the patient. We all know it’s better to have an implant when you are 60 or 70, than when you’re 40. And one thing I always did is when I communicate to patients, I was inspired by a consultant in Restorative Dentistry Dr Chander used a line to a patient. 

He said, “Look, I don’t know how long anyone’s going to live for, but I always plan my dentistry to age 100.” And I’ve been using this line to my patients, and yeah, it’s okay it works well, they get to see the bigger picture. But a lot of patients can’t relate to that. A lot of my patients, their 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s they just can’t relate to that.

They immediately start thinking off topic and thinking, oh, I probably won’t make it. So one of the changes I’ve made in communication based on what Omar discussed with me today, and really the pearl I want to pass on to you is instead of saying to age 100 for everyone, look at your patient. Let’s say they’re in their 70’s and then you wanted to say, “Look, I want this to last well into your 80’s maybe into your 90’s. 

Now, they may still think, “Oh, I probably won’t make it.” But it’s just a bit more relatable than putting a number age 100, because chances are most people don’t know a 100-year-old, but they might have friends in their 80’s and 90’s. Do you see what I mean? Obviously, it’s a very niche scenario. But me personally, I have a very age population that I look after my patients on average are 60.

And so this change in terminology in the way I communicate to patients in terms of longevity of treatment. I think’s gonna really help me to get