Clinical Decision Points as Guidelines for Periodontal Therapy

By Stephen K. Harrel, DDS; Michael P. Rethman, DDS, MS; Charles M. Cobb, DDS, MS, PhD; Lee N. Sheldon, DMD; and John S. Sottosanti, DDS

In 2017, the American Academy of Periodontology and the European Federation of Periodontology held a world workshop to formulate an improved classification of periodontal disease. In 2018, the findings were published in the Journal of Periodontology and Journal of Clinical Periodontology. Since its publication, the 2018 classification has become the standard used to classify and describe periodontitis. However, the clinical application of the new classification as a guide to the delivery of care for patients in need of periodontal treatment has remained unclear. We recently published a paper describing “decision points” for periodontal therapy based on the new classification. The goal of the decision points is to assist the clinician in using the advanced features of the new classification system to help formulate effective treatment plans for patients in need of periodontal therapy. The decision points also assist clinicians in evaluating the effectiveness of periodontal therapies, thus, helping to determine when advanced therapies are needed as well as to better plan for optimal periodontal maintenance.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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