1. Why treatment plans matter in exams
Examiners don’t expect you to memorise every procedure. They want to see how you think: your priorities, your safety, and whether your plan has a beginning, middle, and end.
A structured plan instantly looks more confident than a long, unorganised paragraph.
2. The universal treatment plan framework
Use these five fixed headings
1. Diagnosis & risk factors – what is the
problem and why it happened.
2. Emergency phase – relieve acute pain,
infection, swelling, or bleeding.
3. Stabilisation phase – remove causes: caries
control, perio therapy, temporary restorations.
4. Definitive treatment – RCT, extraction,
prosthodontics, perio surgery, ortho, or combination.
5. Maintenance & review – OH reinforcement,
periodic reviews, risk-based recall.
This framework works for caries, pulpitis, broken teeth, perio cases, denture planning, and even exam viva questions.
3. Writing a plan examiners actually like
Use short, predictable steps that match clinical thinking:
- State the diagnosis clearly: “Symptomatic irreversible pulpitis on #36.”
- Address risks: caries, smoking, poor OH, parafunction, systemic factors.
- Remove distress first: analgesia, drainage, temporisation.
- Stabilise: eliminate infection sources, improve periodontal status, repair temporary defects.
- Provide the definitive solution: RCT, crown, extraction, implant options, perio surgery.
- End with prevention: OH instruction, fluoride plan, recall interval.
4. Example: Pulpitis case
A simple example you can follow in the exam:
Sample answer format
1. Diagnosis: Symptomatic irreversible pulpitis
on #36 due to deep caries.
2. Emergency: LA → pulpotomy or access for
pulpectomy → analgesics advice.
3. Stabilisation: Remove caries, temporary
restoration, OH review.
4. Definitive: Root canal treatment → cuspal
coverage restoration.
5. Maintenance: Recall 6 months, fluoride plan,
caries-risk reduction.
5. Example: Chronic periodontitis case
Even perio cases follow the same logic:
- Diagnosis: Stage/grade perio with plaque-related inflammation.
- Emergency: If acute abscess → drainage, debridement.
- Stabilisation: OHI, smoking cessation, SRP, risk modification.
- Definitive: Re-evaluation → surgical therapy if needed.
- Maintenance: Supportive perio therapy every 3–6 months.
6. Treatment plan phrases for exams
These sentences help you sound structured and safe:
- “My priorities are to relieve pain, stabilise the condition, and then restore long-term function.”
- “Before treatment, I would address modifiable risk factors such as…”
- “I will reassess after the stabilisation phase to determine the need for…”
- “Long-term success depends on maintenance and patient adherence.”
7. How to rehearse treatment planning fast
10-minute repetition drill
1. Pick one case (pulpitis, perio, endo failure, cracked
tooth).
2. Write the five headings in 10 seconds.
3. Fill each heading with 2–3 bullet points only.
4. Say it aloud as if in a viva station.
5. Repeat with a new case tomorrow.
This builds “automatic structure”—the key to scoring high in written, OSCE, and viva exams.
8. How DentAIstudy helps
DentAIstudy can turn any case—endo, perio, trauma, prostho—into a clean, examiner-style treatment plan instantly.
- Creates emergency → stabilisation → definitive → maintenance plans for any dental condition.
- Generates sample exam answers using ideal structure.
- Produces OSCE-friendly versions with short lines examiners love.
- Helps you rehearse the same structure across multiple subjects.
References
- European Federation of Periodontology. Evidence-based guidelines for periodontal therapy.
- American Association of Endodontists. Guide to Clinical Endodontics. AAE; latest edition.
- Rosenstiel SF, Land MF, Fujimoto J. Contemporary Fixed Prosthodontics. 5th ed. Elsevier.
- Ingle JI, Bakland LK, Baumgartner JC. Ingle’s Endodontics. 6th ed. BC Decker.