Post-treatment supportive care for the natural dentition and dental implants.

This article discusses different aspects of supportive care after treatment of mild to moderate periodontitis, and after placement of implants. A maintenance programme needs to be preceded by meticulous scaling and root planing. To maintain healthy conditions and avoid recurrence of periodontal disease, it is of utmost importance that the patient has achieved the skills for optimal oral hygiene, including toothbrushing and interdental cleaning as well as an understanding of the importance of the oral hygiene.

 

The therapist and patient have a shared responsibility; the role of the therapist is to enable learning and understanding of the importance of plaque removal skills, and when the patient has achieved the skills, it becomes the patient´s responsibility to put them into practice. The success of implemented measures needs to be evaluated, and if signs of inflammation persist, the cause needs to be explored and corrected.

Recall intervals must be designed according to the individual's status and risk factors, though based on the literature, 3-4 month intervals are suitable for the majority of the individuals. According to this article, review of medical and dental histories, complete oral examination, establishing whether the maintenance programme is working, evaluation of oral hygiene, and full-mouth supra- and subgingival debriment should be included in the maintenance visit. It is also stressed that insufficient oral hygiene and poor compliance to participate in the recommended maintenance programme has a correlation to recurrence and progression of the periodontal disease.

The purpose of supportive implant therapy is to prevent the development of peri-implant diseases. It should include oral hygiene instructions based on individual conditions and needs, the evaluation of relevant risk factors, and a provision of professional preventive interventions. The conclusion stresses the importance of periodontal maintenance therapy and supportive implant therapy for long-term success, or there will be an enhanced risk of recurrence and progression of periodontitis, as well as loss of implants.