Periodontal Concepts for The Modern Dental Practice: From Diagnosis to Long Term Maintenance Care

This live webinar will clarify diagnosis and treatment planning to help hygienists and dentists feel comfortable with stabilizing periodontal conditions and creating a predictable foundation for successful ongoing maintenance and restorative care. The topics covered will include diagnosis, prognosis, minimally invasive anti-microbial methods, osseous concepts, role of trauma from the occlusion, and predictable methods for patient motivation that will provide a key cornerstone for long-term successful maintenance care. This course is designed to enhance or develop skills in basic periodontal diagnosis and treatment planning, while at the same time showing the long term potential for a non-surgical minimally invasive approach.

An evidenced based method for minimally invasive management of moderate to advanced periodontal infection will be presented. We will discuss why targeting the bacteria and not the pocket is oftentimes the best approach. We will explore ongoing maintenance, an obvious key factor for long-term success, and introduce methods that patients can manage at home without being too complicated. With this approach compliance is typically improved versus traditional efforts of getting people to floss, which only disappoints clinicians when patients do not comply.

Course Objectives

At the completion of this course the participants should be able to:

1. Understand what types of soft tissue grafting will stop recession and which will cover exposed root surfaces
2. Understand the various periodontal disease diagnostic factors
3. Articulate case for and against plaque control
4. Explore different types of soft tissue grafting and their relationship to recession and obtaining root coverage
5. Understand long term maintenance care – a foundational concept
6. Discuss occlusion and it’s role in periodontal disease
7. Discuss whether or not to treat furcations and if they can be maintained over time
8. Identify the role of Diamine Fluoride in adult maintenance care
9. Outline the various minimally invasive antimicrobial methods
10. Explain simplified, yet effective, self-care for patients at home
11. Understand how soft tissue grafting will enhance restorative results