[Guidelines for surgical treatment of chronic periodontitis in Belgium]

Periodontal surgery is the most effective procedure to reduce pocket depth and to gain clinical attachment at deep sites. This is not surprising as surgery provides the best access and enables the clinician to extensively alter hard and soft tissues if necessary. Still, nonsurgical debridement is usually adopted as an initial measure of treatment for all sites. This reflects the conventional scheme of periodontal therapy; that is, overall non-surgical debridement followed by re-evaluation and surgery if and wherever necessary. The underlying reasons for organizing periodontal care as such are discussed in this manuscript. The importance of patient's compliance in terms of oral hygiene in the planning of surgical treatment is also highlighted and explained.