Five stages, one common thread.
The pathway reads from diagnosis towards rehabilitation, but it is neither mandatory nor strictly linear. You can leave it, return to it, or stop at a stage. Only one thing runs through it from end to end: prevention.
Prevention accompanies every stage, for life
The pathway depends on each person's diagnoses, risks and goals. Depending on the situation, you move forward, you pause, or you return to an earlier stage.
- ↳ Branches and possible exits after stages 1, 2 or 3
- ↻ Reassessment points that may send you back to an earlier stage
- ◎ A maintenance loop that continues over the long term
In the [de facto] Pathway, a stage designates a family of therapeutic objectives. It does not represent the severity of a disease and does not mean that every patient must reach the next stage. Not to be confused with the stages of a periodontal classification, of a cancer, or with a severity grading.
Four questions before moving on
- Have we understood the situation well enough?Diagnoses documented · prognosis established · goals known
- Are active diseases under control?Pain and infection controlled · periodontal response verified
- Are the foundations reliable?Tooth restorable · tissues stabilised · upkeep achievable
- Ready for a global transformation?Stability achieved · plan approved · risks explained
Several paths can be reasonable
Addresses all the priority diagnoses.
Treats the diagnoses against more targeted goals.
Treats the priorities and reduces immediate risks.
Always presented, without judgement, with its monitoring schedule.
Every option is quoted in writing before any commitment, with its risks and its alternatives — including those of doing nothing.