Managing ‘last tooth in the arch syndrome’ and restoring retruded contact position

Abstract

Occlusally challenging scenarios can arise during the restoration of teeth involved in the patient's Retruded Contact Position (RCP). During preparation of a tooth that provides the RCP, practitioners may encounter problems whereby they lose occlusal clearance to place an occlusal coverage restoration over the tooth in question. This may come as a shock to the practitioner, often resulting in further excessive and unplanned tooth preparation, or reduction of the opposing tooth to create occlusal clearance. This paper aims to provide a guide on how to recognize and avoid the potential pitfalls of restoring retruded contact position, through the use of proper planning and by employing appropriate management techniques. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Understanding of the relevant occlusal considerations will allow the practitioner to restore teeth involved with RCP predictably and conservatively.