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SDF · Applied Scenario

Full-mouth risk map: where failure is formingFind weak links early.

A full-mouth risk map is not a list of cavities. It is a stability scan: which teeth are strong, which are thin, where force is concentrating, and what is likely to fail next. Within the Structural Decision Framework (SDF), the risk map prevents you from building irreversible work on a collapsing system.

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Quick answer

A risk map is worth it when you have multiple problems, uneven wear, repeated repairs, missing teeth, or you are considering major cosmetic or replacement work. It helps you avoid treating the wrong tooth first. It also helps you avoid finishing dentistry that will be forced into redo.

Treat from a risk map vs treat from symptoms

Symptoms are loud. Risk is quiet. The map keeps you from missing what is forming underneath.

Risk map
When planning becomes predictable
You treat the weak links before they become emergencies.
  • Weak links are identified early
    Thin cusps, leaking margins, cracks, drifting contacts, and high-force zones.
  • Force pathways are mapped
    You see where the load is going, not just where it hurts.
  • Sequencing is obvious
    Foundation and stability first, finish work later.
  • Options are preserved
    Early steps keep future choices open.
Symptoms
When planning stays reactive
You treat the loudest tooth and miss the next failure.
  • The next failure is missed
    A quiet crack or overload zone becomes the next emergency.
  • Sequence is driven by pain
    The plan changes every time a new tooth flares up.
  • Redo dentistry compounds
    Work is replaced sooner because the system is not stabilized.
  • Cosmetic work is at risk
    Aesthetics can chip or shift when force is unstable.
5–10 year outlook

A risk map changes the trajectory by making early steps obvious.

Think in forces + foundation + follow-through.
Quiet ownership
Lower risk
Weak links are stabilized and force is controlled before major steps.
  • Fewer surprises
  • Less redo dentistry
  • Better long-term value
Partial planning
Moderate risk
Some weak links are addressed, but force problems remain.
  • Some re-dos expected
  • Needs monitoring
  • Plan may shift over time
Surprise failures
Higher risk
Work is built without a system map. Failures appear in sequence.
  • More emergency decisions
  • Higher escalation risk
  • Rising total cost
How to use a risk map

The goal is a simple plan: stabilize the highest-risk failures first.

Map first, then stage
Often the goal
Use the map to pick the order that reduces risk the fastest.
Best for
  • Multiple issues
  • Major work planned
  • Repeated repairs
Tradeoffs
  • Requires honest prioritization
  • Not always the fastest cosmetic path
Watch for
  • Treating the map like a report instead of a plan
Map plus targeted urgency
Situational
Fix the urgent tooth, but do it inside the map so you do not derail the sequence.
Best for
  • Pain event with system risk
  • Time constraints with discipline
Tradeoffs
  • More constraints
  • Needs follow-through to finish stability steps
Watch for
  • Stopping after the urgent tooth is quiet
No map, treat as problems appear
Not always right
It can work for simple cases, but it often becomes a patch cycle when risk is spread across the system.
Best for
  • Low complexity and stable force
Tradeoffs
  • Higher surprise risk
  • More re-dos when force drifts
Watch for
  • A new ‘urgent tooth’ every year
How SDF evaluates a risk map

The map is built by filtering the full mouth through four dimensions.

Structure
Which teeth are thin, cracked, heavily restored, or already compromised?
Force
Where is load concentrating and which teeth are carrying the system?
Timing
What fails next if nothing changes, and what should be stabilized now?
Long-term stability
Which sequence produces the quietest 5–10 year outcome?
Related scenarios

Stay inside the same decision space. Compare one nearby scenario and one adjacent hub.

Back to System-wide planning
Fix one tooth or plan the whole system?
System-wide planning
Staged dentistry: what to fix first
System-wide planning
Why replacement decisions become unstable
Replacement decisions
How redo dentistry compounds over decades
Failure patterns
If this matches your situation

The next step is simple. We examine structure, force, and timing in person. You do not need to decide everything today.

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