The aim of periodontal therapy (UPT - supportive periodontal therapy) is to alleviate the progression of periodontitis. It immediately follows the dental treatment of periodontitis and consists of regular UPT sessions at intervals of three to six months.
Below you will find further information on UPT and specialists for periodontal therapy.
The aim of periodontal therapy is to alleviate the progression of periodontitis. Periodontitis leads to gum recession.
If there is no treatment, there is a risk of tooth loss. Periodontal therapy (also known as UPT) focuses on inflammation of the periodontium.
It is therefore not dissimilar to professional tooth cleaning, but goes far beyond its treatment spectrum. The treatment goes back to the Bern concept from the 1980s, which was developed by the University of Bern.
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Comparison of healthy tooth, tooth with gingivitis and periodontitis @ bilderzwerg /AdobeStock
Themain aim of periodontal therapy is to treat periodontitis. This chronic dental disease has demonstrably increased in recent years: Almost 90 percent of people over the age of 65 are affected by periodontitis.
Nevertheless, UPT is not yet widespread: It is estimated that just ten percent of periodontitis patients undergo this treatment.
Tooth loss cannot be completely ruled out with periodontal therapy . However, it has been proven to reduce them by around half.
Depending on how advanced the periodontitis is, the UPT sessions take place every three to six months. However, this is not enough: in order to preserve the tooth for as long as possible, treatment should be carried out for a lifetime.
Before the actual treatment begins, a comprehensive medical history is taken. This means that the dentist analyzes the current condition of the teeth in detail. With the help of a periodontal screening and a radiological examination, he evaluates each individual tooth.
The UPT procedure itself includes the following treatment steps:
If the patient wishes, he or she will be given a local anesthetic so that the treatment is completely painless. Depending on the general health of the patient's teeth, other treatment options may also be considered.
These include
UPT goes beyond professional tooth cleaning @ Tommaso Lizzul /AdobeStock
About three months after the first treatment, bacteria normally recolonize the teeth. Depending on the patient's risk of periodontitis, treatment should therefore be repeated every three months until the end of life.
How high your own periodontitis risk is depends on both genetic factors and your oral hygiene index. Factors such as stress or smoking can also significantly increase the risk of periodontitis.
The treatment known as Pact is particularly important. This photodynamic antimicrobial laser therapy kills all bacteria in the periodontal pocket.
This treatment is completely free of side effects and painless. The aim is to prevent recolonization with bacteria. These bacteria are the cause of inflammation of the periodontium, which leads to periodontitis and tooth loss in the long term.
It is equally important to regularly measure the depth of the pockets. The doctor uses this to check the stability of the periodontium. It also provides information on whether the periodontal therapy has led to the desired success.
If the periodontal pockets are deeper than five millimetres, special treatment is necessary. In this case, oral hygiene at home and professional tooth cleaning will not help to clean the teeth sufficiently. In this case, UPT can provide valuable services and prevent the progression of periodontitis.
Another measure in the context of periodontal therapy is the determination of the inflammation index (BOP) for each tooth. If bleeding occurs during pocket probing, this is a sign of inflammation. Further treatment is then necessary.
As periodontitis is a chronic dental disease, comprehensive follow-up care is required after periodontal therapy. The success of the treatment depends largely on the extent to which the patient keeps all follow-up appointments.
In dentistry, this aftercare is also known as maintenance therapy. Important: Periodontal therapy is not a preventive measure, but a complementary therapy.
In addition to regular aftercare, comprehensive oral hygiene is necessary. Your dentist can give you valuable tips for proper oral hygiene.
Periodontal therapy consists of three treatment stages:
Statutory health insurance companies generally only cover the costs of the actual main treatment. This means the comprehensive cleaning of the gum pockets. Professional tooth cleaning and oral hygiene instruction, on the other hand, must be paid for by the patient.
As already mentioned, periodontal therapy cannot completely prevent tooth loss. However, statistics show that the probability is reduced by half if patients undergo regular UPT.
In this case, the prognosis is quite good and the diseased tooth is preserved into old age. The earlier the patient recognizes and treats periodontitis, the more likely it is that the tooth will be preserved into old age.
You should therefore look out for possible warning signs such as bleeding gums, bad breath or exposed tooth necks.
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