How to assess a case before you accept it
UniDent editorial team · July 28, 2026
Medically reviewed by: Dr Aleks Aleksiev · reviewed July 28, 2026
Accepting a case is a decision with a price: you commit a slot that cannot be used for anything else. Three things get checked first — what the X-ray shows, what medicines the patient takes, and whether their expectations match what a teaching clinic can do.
The X-ray comes before the appointment
Two teeth that look identical in the mouth can be entirely different cases in difficulty. Root angle, depth, proximity to anatomical structures — none of it is visible without an image. Accepting a case without one means you learn the scope of the work at the moment you can no longer decline it.
The history is not a formality
- Medicines being taken, particularly blood thinners.
- Chronic conditions and allergies.
- Previous complications during dental treatment.
- Pregnancy.
Do the expectations match
A patient who wants everything finished in one visit is not right for a case that takes three. A patient chasing an aesthetic result when the case needs gum treatment first will leave disappointed even if the work is good. This is easier to settle in conversation than to repair afterwards.
Ask about availability directly
Can they come on weekdays, in the hours when you have clinical sessions? Plenty of good cases fail on the timetable rather than the tooth. One question at the start saves three cancelled appointments.
What to do next
- Ask for an X-ray before arranging an appointment.
- Ask about medicines and conditions in the first conversation.
- Check availability on the days you actually work.
Sources
- Dental medicine curricula (public information)