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Practical steps to the pathways of periodontal care

BDJ Student (2022)Cite this article

During my early clinical years, I found the prospect of treating periodontal disease quite daunting. Through the help of Dr Ariakish, a clinical supervisor with enhanced experience in periodontology, I was directed to resources and guidelines in the treatment of periodontitis which I would like to share. Although it is important to be aware of the guidelines and evidence-base, my aim is to summarise the treatment guidelines and provide a clinical toolkit undergraduate students can use throughout their undergraduate career.

The periodontium forms the supporting structure of teeth and is comprised of the cementum, periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, and gingival tissue. Periodontal disease is ranked the 6th most prevalent disease with around 10% of the global population showing evidence of severe disease.1 Within the UK alone, almost half of adults have some degree of irreversible periodontitis;2 a disease characterised by its progressive destruction of tooth-supporting apparatus resulting in alveolar bone loss and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Fortunately, treatment of periodontitis has evolved, leading to the European Federation of Periodontology EFP S3 treatment guideline. This international guideline has since been implemented in the UK by the British Society of Periodontology (BSP) - 'BSP implementation of European S3 - level evidence-based treatment guidelines for state I-III periodontitis in UK clinical practice'.3It should be noted that this guidance excludes a treatment protocol for stage IV- very severe disease.

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References

  1. World Health Organisation. Fact sheet: Oral Health. Available from: www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health (Accessed February 2022).

  2. Munday P. Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention. Vital 2008; 5: 13.

  3. West N, Chapple I, Claydon N et al. BSP implementation of European S3 - level evidence-based treatment guidelines for stage I-III periodontitis in UK clinical practice. J Dent 2021; 106: 103562

  4. British Society of Periodontology. Delivering phased-care for periodontitis patients under UDA banding in England: Road map to prevention and stabilisation. 6 May 2021. Available from: www.bsperio.org.uk/assets/downloads/Delivering_phased_Care_Final_6th_May_2021_1.pdf (Accessed February 2022).

  5. British Society of Periodontology. Avoidance of doubt: Provision of phased treatments. 8 July 2021. Available from: www.bsperio.org.uk/assets/downloads/B0615-Update-to-NHS_avoidance-of-doubt-provision-of-phased-treatments-July-2021.pdf

  6. NHS England and NHS Improvement. Commissioning Standard for Restorative Dentistry. July 2019. Available from: www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/commissioning-standard-for-restorative-dentistry-v1.pdf (Accessed February 2022).

  7. British Society of Periodontology. BSP Guidelines for Periodontal Patient Referral. 2020. Available from: www.bsperio.org.uk/assets/downloads/BSP_Guidelines_for_Patient_Referral_2020.pdf (Accessed February 2022).

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  1. University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK

    Hussain Almosawi

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  1. Hussain Almosawi
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Correspondence to Hussain Almosawi.

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Almosawi, H. Practical steps to the pathways of periodontal care. BDJ Student (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-022-0297-8

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