Download Case 4

Alvin B. Rosenblum, DOS
University of Southern California
School of Dentistry
Case Study #4
A 16-year-old female orthodontic patient in treatment for four months is also
seeing a pediatric dentist. The orthodontist feels that the patient's age warrants
treatment by a general dentist. The orthodontist also has some concern for the
quality of care provided by the pedodontist.
The orthodontist recommends to the parents that they take the girl to see a
general dentist. They do so and the dentist finds that all posterior teeth have
occlusal restorations and there is untreated caries on most inter-proximal
surfaces. When the new dentist requests x-rays from the pedodontist, she
receives six-month-old bite wing x-rays that exhibit proximal caries.
The patient then had to undergo removal of archwires and molar bands in order
for the general dentist to restore the proximal surfaces. When asked by the
parents why all this work was necessary, the dentist avoided indictment of the
pedodontist.