[Long-term results of periodontal therapy]

Treatment of periodontitis plays an important role in preventing tooth loss. Over the years, various treatment modalities have been proposed, researched and applied in the dental practice. The non-surgical periodontal therapy of cleaning the root surfaces is still the golden standard in treatment of periodontitis. If pockets of ≥ 6 mm remain after the non-surgical therapy, surgical periodontal therapy could be considered. People with periodontal disease should agree with lifelong periodontal therapy, because after the 'active' (non-surgical and surgical) periodontal therapy, lifelong periodontal maintenance is the most important thing to guarantee periodontal health and stability. The ultimate goal of periodontal therapy is preservation of the natural dentition. Many studies have shown that this goal can be achieved, providing the following circumstances are met: a good oral hygiene and high patient motivation, optimal periodontal treatment, and smoking cessation.