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We hope that you find this ‘Perio’-focused issue of Dental Update particularly interesting and informative. The management of periodontitis has come a long way, as illustrated by the cover photo chosen for this issue. In the past, the halitosis and eventual loss of teeth associated with periodontitis necessitated the use of fans or having a ‘coy’ or ‘wry’ smile. These days, we are likely not alone in regarding tooth loss from periodontitis as an ultimate failure of dental care by/for a patient, and not something that is a normal part of growing old. This move towards increasing tooth retention and the ageing population that we encounter in the UK means that the burden of periodontitis in the UK is likely to increase. Hopefully, this issue should provide you with the most up-to-date and practical knowledge needed to diagnose and manage periodontitis and peri-implantitis in your patients, as well as to understand these disease processes and their complications a little better.
The issue starts with a look at the prevalence of periodontitis in the UK and globally and the burden this places on patients and healthcare providers. We then examine our patients more holistically and try to understand the links between periodontal and systemic health. Then we move on to a ‘crowd favourite’, discussing the new (2017) Classification of Periodontal Disease as well as the BSP's implementation plan for this and how it aims to help its introduction into general dental practice. We then look at the diagnosis and management of a common complication seen in patients with periodontitis, that of the endo-perio lesion.
The mainstay of management for most patients with periodontal problems is non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). A review of this is offered, together with the limited but critical role that the use of antibiotics may play in the management of patients with periodontitis. We then progress on to one of the common sequelae of periodontitis and of successful treatment, namely recession, and discuss its management, including surgery.
Finally, we have two papers looking at peri-implantitis, a growing concern for patients and dental care professionals alike and one that we need to be more familiar with managing.
This issue has been quite a long time in the making and we would like to thank Dr Phil Ower, Professor Trevor Burke and the BSP council for entrusting us with this task. We hope we have delivered, and that this issue serves you well in the future. Even so, in order to stay fully updated and have access to a range of resources for you, your team and your patients, you can do no better than to become a member of the BSP! The Society offers a range of educational activities and other benefits, including 10–12 webinars annually on topics around, but not exclusively associated with, periodontology and implant dentistry. Do take the time to peruse the BSP website as a supplement to your Dental Update subscription.
Happy reading.