Assessing treatment response

Assessing the response to periodontal treatment

An integral part of periodontal management is the ongoing reassessment and monitoring of the patient’s status after active treatment and during maintenance. The collective observation and recording of symptom control, level of plaque biofilm control, level of marginal bleeding, residual periodontal probing depths and bleeding on probing will enable the clinician to plan what, if any, further treatment is required or if the goal of treatment has been reached and Step 4 of management, periodontal maintenance, is appropriate.  
Patients are typically reviewed at 6-12 weeks post-treatment. However, timescales for reassessment will depend on initial presentation, the treatment carried out, the potential need for further treatment and the patient’s risk for disease progression.