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The importance of maintenance care for controlling periodontitis and preventing disease recurrence is well-documented. Supportive periodontal therapy is essentially based on periodontal risk assessment, oral hygiene reinforcement and professional cleaning. As most of the referred periodontal patients return to the general practitioner at some point, supportive periodontal therapy should be continued in general practice. This manuscript offers the clinician, in particular the general practitioner, a number of guidelines to organize maintenance care.

As in previous years, the dental status of schoolchildren from Geneva has been examined on a yearly basis between 1980 and 1990. A global assessment is presented here, showing a gradual increase in the percentage of caries-free children, especially in kindergarten classes. Moreover, a single evaluation of first permanent molars is presented.

The popularity of polishing air devices (AP) is rising with the increased distribution of commercial units in both United States and European dental offices and clinics. The instrument's efficiency and effectiveness in stain removal has been demonstrated with minimal impact on soft tissue trauma and abrasion. This article reviews the literature on AP. Future research is indicated to explore surgical clinical applications of airpowder polishing as well as more detailed information regarding the biological basis for its use.

This retrospective study was carried out on 20 patients with periodontal lesions treated by the same operator by scaling root planing. The investigation was designed to study the variability of the level of attachments through different charts of probing before and after treatment over a period of 5 years maintenance. Through efficient scaling and root planing different results were obtained according to sites of different localisations and depth. It shows the uncertain and occasional characteristics of periodontal lesions, and gives useful informations for treatment choices and regular maintenance program.

Periodontal treatment aims at the removal of calculus and bacterial deposits from the tooth surface. Sonic and ultrasonic scalers are mainly used during initial therapy and their use is often limited to the supragingival area. Subgingival instrumentation is usually performed with hand curettes. Recent literature shows that clinical and bacteriological results obtained after treatment of periodontal lesions with sonic or ultrasonic scalers are similar to those observed following hand curettage. In addition, recent ultrasonic scalers allow irrigation with sterile or antiseptic solutions. Finally, new inserts are better designed for subgingival instrumentation. Altogether, these observations give a new dimension to these instruments.

Plaque exposed cementum presents structure alterations and becomes cytotoxic. The purpose of this review is to synthetize the actual datas about these cementum modifications and treatment by root planing. It appears that root planing does not eliminate all the subgingival calculus. Endotoxins are rather easily removed but roots are not completely detoxified. Treatment of the exposed cementum could evaluate to a less severe root planing and completed by a detoxification with chemical agents.

The action of the preparation studied, containing 20% hydrochloric acid in an alcohol-chloroform medium: 1) affected both white tartar as well as the submucosal tartar, progressively replacing the phosphorus radicles of tricalcium phosphate by CL ions, transforming the insoluble tricalcium phosphate into soluble calcium chloride; 2) was practically complete in 2 minutes; 3) was more rapid on tartar than on enamel or even cement; 4) did not appear to alter the superficial structure of the tooth in 4 minutes whilst, for the same period of time, the superficial structure of the cement was deeply attacked with 50% preparations of citric acid or phosphoric acid; 5) in our trials, carried out after 4 minutes treatment, caused the tartar to undergo a relatively superficial but adequate chemical action to facilitate its removel, whilst leaving the underlying hard tissue, enamel or cement, unharmed. It would thus appear that such a substance may be used for the preparation and speeding of mechanical descaling.