Interdisciplinary approach in periodontal management of orthodontic patient: Long-term follow-up

Orthodontic therapy is becoming a mainstay for the correction of esthetic and functional disturbances in both young and older adults. Orthodontic forces act on the periodontium and can have wide-ranging effects, from beneficial to harmful, from being a hindrance to oral hygiene maintenance to causing irreversible periodontal breakdown. In some patients, the presence of periodontal conditions like gingival recession, before start of orthodontic therapy, raises many questions. Much controversy and confusion exist regarding the need for periodontal therapy, its sequencing, especially in case of recession in a young patient who needs orthodontic therapy. An interactive, interdisciplinary approach is essential in such cases for success. This case report illustrates the interdisciplinary management of a young patient with gingival recession with an eight-year follow-up of the case.