This lecture promotes a conservative treatment philosophy of identifying and managing risk for excellent long-term survival and success outcomes. Evidence of 10-year survival and success rates is presented, and factors that can adversely influence treatment outcome are described.

Special emphasis is given to patient risk factors (smoking, poor oral hygiene, history of treated chronic periodontitis, etc.) and their respective odds ratios. The lecture concludes with strategies to reduce the risk of technical, mechanical, biologic, and esthetic complications.