Periodontal Debridement: Still the Treatment of Choice

Compared to surgical therapy, PD results in maintenance of attachment levels over time, but is not as effective in the initial reduction of probing depths in deep pockets. Sustained release local drug delivery agents have some modest adjunctive effects when used with PD, as do systemic antibiotics in aggressive periodontitis cases. Reported analyses of the long term effects of chemotherapeutic agents usually do not extend beyond a few months to a year. While laser therapy is still under investigation it remains as a potential PD therapy. New instruments being refined to better visualize the root surface either non-surgically or with mini papilla reflection flaps, hold promise for the future when they become more affordable and accessible. Despite the development of new technology, it still appears that periodontal debridement (PD) remains the gold standard for the treatment of inflammatory periodontitis.