Periodontally treated dentitions: their maintenance and prognosis

At the beginning of a 2-year clinical study patients were subjected to five different periodontal surgical procedures. The oral hygiene of 50 test patients was then maintained by professional cleaning at intervals of 2 weeks. Patients in the control group (n = 25) were recalled only once per year for scaling and polishing. In the test subjects further periodontal destruction was arrested; in the control group inadequate plaque control led to progressive periodontitis. Further study, over 4 years, of the test subjects demonstrated that continued vigorous plaque control measures maintained their periodontal status. These results were obtained irrespective of the type of surgery performed initially.