[The importance of periodontal evaluation in orthodontics]

The orthodontist is in fact a periodontal-therapist since his aim is to move the teeth with and through the periodontal tissues. It is most important for the orthodontist to be able to determine at the initial clinical examination what are the various periodontal risk factors. When the pathology is obvious with inflammation, periodontal pockets, gingival hyperplasia, edema of the papillae, gingival recessions, the need for periodontal treatment is manifest. But many times, the periodontal evaluation is complicated by the presence of slight variations of the quality of the marginal tissue that represent a risk of developing periodontal defects during the orthodontic treatment. The aim of this presentation is to put forward the importance of the periodontal evaluation during the initial examination of the patient so that, if necessary, an adequate periodontal therapy can be initiated to stabilize the periodontal tissues and thus improves the esthetical outcome.