number of innovative periodontal treatment options have been developed for use in the dental practice. These new modalities are often associated with novel technological approaches and functionally active chemistries that increase the predictability of treatment for the practitioner and the procedural comfort for the patient.
CLINICAL OPTIONS FOR TREATING PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Traditionally, the treatment of periodontal diseases is composed of 2 distinct phases. The initial therapy, or nonsurgical phase, consists of procedures that are specifically designed to eliminate or control the various risk factors, which may contribute to chronic periodontitis. In this phase, dentists and their team: provide oral hygiene instruction and periodic reinforcement; perform supragingival and subgingival scaling and root planing to remove microbial plaque and calculus; treat or remove local irritation factors such as decay, overhangs, ill-contoured crowns, and misaligned teeth; and recommend the use of various antimicrobial agents as adjuncts to the above treatments. If the initial therapy does not significantly improve the periodontal condition, periodontal surgery is considered in order to help resolve the disease process and/or assist in the correction of anatomic defects. A variety of surgical modalities may be appropriate in managing an individual patient.
In selecting periodontal treatment modalities, the dental professional should closely examine each treatment alternative as a potential tool, and then decide which of these tools are best suited for a specific problem. A patient may benefit most from a “conservative” or nonsurgical approach in one quadrant, and a more “invasive” or surgical approach in another. From a clinical perspective, the critical determining factor is the treatment (or treatments) that will ultimately serve the patient best.
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