Restorative & Materials · single question
Male, 53 years old. Tooth #5 fractured lingual cusp with exposed dentin extending subgingivally. What is the best first step?
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Correct answer: C. Assess restorability
- A. Placing a restoration before determining whether the tooth is even restorable is premature.
- B. While pulp testing is important, the first priority when faced with a subgingival fracture is determining whether the tooth can be predictably restored at all (ferrule, biologic width, etc.) before further workup.
- C. Correct. Before any treatment planning (pulp testing, restoration, crown prep) can proceed meaningfully, the clinician must first assess whether the tooth is restorable given the extent and subgingival location of the fracture.
- D. Crown preparation is premature without first confirming restorability and addressing diagnostic/treatment sequencing.
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