Table 1 Dental care vignettes—patient description and services in patient pathway

Vignette 1: Urgent care with root canal and prosthodontic treatment

A 35-year-old patient has not been able to sleep for two nights due to a strong, beating pain in the right-lower jaw. The patient requests an urgent dental appointment. The dentist determines that the patient needs a root-canal treatment to preserve the first lower molar, and treat the pain. The patient decides for the root canal treatment and against the alternative of tooth extraction. Following the root canal treatment, reconstruction with composite (filling) material is used until a fixed prosthodontic treatment (crown/onlay) can be placed

Emergency consultation with dentist

Radiography ((bitewing) X-rays)

Root canal treatment

OR

Tooth extraction

(interim) reconstruction with white filling material

Fixed prosthodontic treatment (crown/onlay)

Vignette 2: Periodontal treatment

A 66-year-old patient with co-morbidities (obesity, diabetes) has frequent discomfort in the upper jaw. After a consultation, chronic periodontitis with generalized level 2 mobility is diagnosed, requiring scaling and root planning, involving periodontal probing and elimination of dental calculus and frequent follow-up visits to stop disease progression and stabilize bone-loss

Scheduled visit with the dentist

Scaling and root planning (performed by a dentist)

Periodontal probing, and elimination of dental calculus (performed by dental assistant or hygienist)

Regular follow-up visits

Vignette 3: Implant-borne restoration and prosthetic rehabilitation

An edentulous 75-year-old patient received full upper and lower dentures 5 years ago. She feels she has lost significant capacity to chew as the lower prosthesis is poorly retained and gets displaced when speaking or eating. She seeks counseling from her dentist, who recommends two implants on the lower anterior jaw and an overdenture to improve retention. She agrees with this course of treatment and against more sophisticated fixed alternatives

Consultation and surgical planning

Surgical implantation

Prosthetic rehabilitation: New prosthesis or adjustment of old prosthesis using the implants

OR

(Partially) fixed dentures