Why I Place High Value on Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning

July 8, 2022 Abdi Sameni

Complex dental cases often need support from multiple specialties for a final successful outcome. The approach to work out these cases can be a “multidisciplinary approach” or an “interdisciplinary approach.”

In the case of “multidisciplinary treatment planning,” each of the dental professionals makes their own plan for the treatment they will provide and they seek the help of other disciplines as the need arises. A fairly common example is when a patient finishes orthodontic alignment and then sees a dentist for esthetic restorations.

“Interdisciplinary treatment planning” takes another approach. Treatment is preplanned among the restorative dentist, specialists, and the laboratory team prior to commencement. What is notable in this approach is that you communicate, you collaborate, and you create the plan together as a team. As a restorative dentist, my role is to sit at the center of the specialist, the lab technician, and the patient. In my experience, involving the lab technician from the beginning produces best results and a more efficient process of treatment.

Avishai Sadan — my colleague and the dean at USC, says interdisciplinary treatment planning results in “being able to formulate a custom-tailored treatment plan that addresses patient present and future needs and to execute it to the highest clinical level possible, using state-of-the-art techniques and technologies.” This statement defines for me the best way to do dentistry.

The Benefits of Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning

The foremost benefit is to our restorative patient, whose well-planned dentistry optimally solves current and future needs. Not only are restorative results at the highest clinical level, but we can practice what we enjoy doing most at our highest skill level, while enjoying collaboration with others who are working at their highest skill level. Liability is lower, and we learn from each other.

As a team, we have developed a smooth process of communicating, contributing knowledge, and deciding what will be an optimal course of treatment. We document with photos the procedures each of us performs so we each have complete documentation of the cases we do together.

The others who are on my interdisciplinary team refer patients to me because they are comfortable with the process we have developed and value the quality of the restorative dentistry I do. My practice is distinguishable from dental practices that do not do interdisciplinary treatment planning. Patients who are referred are commonly told about this interdisciplinary planning approach before they arrive. They anticipate a high level of personal attention and a course of treatment that all doctors agree upon. Case acceptance is high when all doctors and the lab team agree on what is best for the patient. Communication and agreement among the providers is so complete, the patient can be optimally informed about what to expect at each stage of treatment.

Related Course

Mastering Treatment Planning

DATE: October 2 2025 @ 8:00 am - October 4 2025 @ 1:30 pm

Location: The Pankey Institute

CE HOURS: 25.5

Tuition: $ 4795

Single Occupancy with Ensuite Private Bath (per night): $ 345

 MASTERING TREATMENT PLANNING Course Description In our discussions with participants in both the Essentials and Mastery level courses, we continue to hear the desire to help establish better systems for…

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About Author

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Abdi Sameni

Dr. Abdi Sameni, Clinical Associate Professor of Dentistry at Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, is the founder and developer of the “International Restorative Dentistry Symposium, Los Angeles.” He is a former faculty for the “esthetic selective” and the former director of the USC Advanced Esthetic Dentistry Continuum for the portion relating to indirect porcelain veneers. Dr. Sameni lectures nationally and internationally. He is a member of The American College of Dentists, OKU National Dental Honor Society and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Dr. Sameni maintains a practice limited to restorative dentistry in West Los Angeles, California and the 2020 Pankey Institute webinar he presented on interdisciplinary treatment planning can be viewed here on YouTube.

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4 Questions You Should Be Able to Answer To Improve Your Success With Indirect Bonded Anterior Restorations

August 16, 2021 Abdi Sameni

Restorations are the foundation of a thriving dental practice because they keep you challenged and motivated while ensuring patient satisfaction. Indirect bonded anterior restorations provide patients with functional and aesthetic solutions to improve their smiles.

But “veneers” are more complicated than they seem when you see the finished product: bonded anterior restorations.

Before you decide on the type of restoration you are going to offer your patients in the anterior region, here are four questions you should be asking to get the most from your restorative process:

  1. Can indirect bonded anterior restorations strengthen worn-down, eroded, or chipped teeth?
  2. Should teeth be whitened before they are veneered?
  3. Should endodontically treated teeth be veneered?
  4. Are crowns stronger than veneers?

If you are hungry for more guidance on indirect bonded anterior restorations, check out my upcoming course at Pankey Online. On Friday, August 20th, 2021, from 2-4 pm ET, I will be hosting a live, 2-hour virtual course, “Indirect Bonded Anterior Restorations.” You can easily register for my course, which provides 2 CE credits, at Pankey Online.

Join me as we discuss useful concepts like three-dimensional functional and esthetic mock-ups, provisional fabrication, preparation design for adhesive restorations, and more. See you there!

Related Course

Worn Dentition: Direct & Indirect Adhesive Management Through a Non-Invasive Approach

DATE: October 24 2025 @ 8:00 am - October 25 2025 @ 2:30 pm

Location: The Pankey Institute

CE HOURS: 15

Dentist Tuition : $ 2595

Single Occupancy with Ensuite Private Bath (per night): $ 345

Enhance Restorative Outcomes The main goal of this course is to provide, indications and protocols to diagnose and treat severe worn dentition through a new no prep approach increasing the…

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About Author

User Image
Abdi Sameni

Dr. Abdi Sameni, Clinical Associate Professor of Dentistry at Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, is the founder and developer of the “International Restorative Dentistry Symposium, Los Angeles.” He is a former faculty for the “esthetic selective” and the former director of the USC Advanced Esthetic Dentistry Continuum for the portion relating to indirect porcelain veneers. Dr. Sameni lectures nationally and internationally. He is a member of The American College of Dentists, OKU National Dental Honor Society and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Dr. Sameni maintains a practice limited to restorative dentistry in West Los Angeles, California and the 2020 Pankey Institute webinar he presented on interdisciplinary treatment planning can be viewed here on YouTube.

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I AM INTERESTED IN

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