Case Presentation in Dentistry

     Case presentation is the communication of both the diagnosis and treatment plans in a manner a patient can understand so that they are able to personally chose what is best for them. The patient’s choice is usually determined by budget, time available for treatment, esthetic concerns, functional demands and overall tolerance of dental procedures.

     The dental student must be able to verbally and/or graphically explain different treatment plans to a patient in a manner easily understood by the patient. The choice of words used in conversation, including dental terminology, and graphics may need to vary tremendously from patient to patient. Keep your explanations short and sweet. Be empathetic and confident during the discussion.

      If you are explaining whether a patient should extract a tooth or have root canal therapy and a crown they will probably want to know for each procedure: how long will it take, what will it feel like during the procedure and afterwards, how much will it cost and how will chewing be affected. They do not want to learn the differences between files and reamers versus 150 and 151 forceps. Focus on the differences in the benefits of the procedures not the technicalities.