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Unlabelled: Maintenance periodontal therapy is essential for the long-term stabilization of periodontal disease. An individualized programme of maintenance requirements, based on patient risk assessment for disease progression, is important, as is the need for teamwork in long-term patient management., Clinical Relevance: Maintenance or supportive therapy is an essential requirement in the management of periodontal therapy. Patients should be informed at their first visit that part of the management of their disease is regular maintenance visits.

Unlabelled: The possibility that periodontal diseases have an effect on systemic health is being widely investigated. This paper reviews the potential links and the mechanism of these effects., Clinical Relevance: Although the effects of periodontitis on systemic health do not yet have an effect on clinical decisions, knowledge and understanding of the link, effects and mechanism are important.

Unlabelled: Periodontal disease can significantly impact on the appearance of the anterior teeth. Prior to any definitive treatment, stabilization of the periodontal condition is a requirement. Treatment options can range from the placement of simple restorations, through orthodontic realignment, to the extraction and replacement of hopeless teeth. Each treatment plan must be individually tailored to the patient and level of periodontal disease, and must include provision for maintenance periodontal therapy., Clinical Relevance: Periodontal diseases may compromise the prognosis of anterior teeth. Management is challenging and clinicians should take into consideration the short and long-term survival in treatment planning.

Unlabelled: Periodontitis affecting multi-rooted teeth presents a challenge for non-surgical and surgical management. This paper reviews the management of compromised posterior teeth., Clinical Relevance: Successful management of compromised posterior teeth requires careful assessment of all contributing factors and the implementation of a long term maintenance programme.

Unlabelled: Gingival recession is a common condition affecting the dentition. This paper describes the aetiology of gingival recession and discusses the appropriate management of this condition., Clinical Relevance: Careful examination to detect gingival recession, or the factors that may place the patient at risk for recession, are important for prevention.

Unlabelled: The surgical crown lengthening procedures are usually used to facilitate the restoration of teeth with poor retentive properties. These techniques can also be applied to the management of aesthetic gingival problems., Clinical Relevance: It is important that the need for crown lengthening procedures is evaluated before any complex restorative treatments are carried out.

Unlabelled: Non-surgical periodontal therapy is the first line of management in the treatment of periodontitis. Gingival and periodontal surgery should be carried out after non-surgical therapy and on patients who show excellent plaque control. This article presents the indication, contra-indication and complications of gingival and periodontal surgery and the clinical outcome of the most common procedures used., Clinical Relevance: Knowledge of the periodontal surgical procedures, their indication and outcomes, are important to allow adequate evaluation and referral.

Unlabelled: Non-surgical periodontal therapy is an integral part of periodontal treatment and has been defined as plaque removal, plaque control, supra- and subgingival scaling, root surface debridement, and the adjunctive use of chemical agents., Clinical Relevance: Knowledge of the role of non-surgical periodontal therapy is central to good patient care.

Unlabelled: Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition initiated by microbial plaque but influenced by an array of factors that affect the development and progression of the disease. This paper summarizes the major risk factors for periodontal disease and the potential to modify specific factors., Clinical Relevance: The assessment of patients with periodontal diseases must include an evaluation of risk and susceptibility. While removal of bacterial plaque and plaque-retentive factors remains the focus of treatment, for successful, long-term management of periodontal diseases, it is also important to eliminate known risk factors.

Unlabelled: The diagnosis and management of periodontal diseases requires a detailed examination of the signs and symptoms associated with periodontal disease. This requires a screening procedure, the BPE being sufficient in the majority of cases. Detailed examination is, however, required in more advanced or severe cases. The general dental practitioner should follow a systematic and organized examination to identify and differentiate between individuals with gingivitis, and those with mild, moderate and more advanced forms of periodontitis. Treatment planning, including the decision to refer to a consultant/specialist when appropriate, requires a clear understanding and satisfactory interpretation of the information gathered from the examination. This reduces the risk of over or under treatment, helps in evaluating the individual's response to therapy and reduces the risk of litigation., Clinical Relevance: The assessment and clinical examination of patients with periodontal diseases, as detailed in this paper, are essential for the diagnosis, effective treatment planning and future maintenance care of patients in general dental practice.

This report describes the clinical presentation of three cases of vertical root fractures in adult patients where an initial diagnosis of localized periodontitis had been considered. Loss of the affected tooth occurred in all of these patients. The effects of endodontic therapy and the provision of post-retained restorations are considered in relation to their potential effect of weakening the root and predisposing the tooth to vertical fracture. The last case presents an unrestored molar tooth with a complete vertical root fracture.