A lovely gentleman in his late 60s came for his annual periodontal re-evaluation following previously having his periodontal health stabilised a year before.
He had since lapsed on his oral hygiene regime especially with the use of interdental brushes. The results of this lapse were apparent on the periodontal charting. The lower molar teeth especially the lower right first molar, had all lost bone between the roots. This is known as furcation bone loss and the more extensive the bone loss, the more compromised is the longevity of the tooth.
After seeing how a lack of focus on home care can restart periodontal disease, the patient was now motivated to get his gums healthy again. Professional periodontal treatment was carried out in the furcation area of the lower molar teeth. This was coupled with appropriate oral hygiene instruction.
All the appropriate Interdental Brushes required were sized, and the patient trained how to use them in the furcation of the lower right first molar. The patient was educated on how to effectively use a single tuft brush once daily to clean around all the gum margins and the furcation areas.
This minimally invasive approach restored the patient’s periodontal health (no periodontal pockets >3mm and bleeding on probing of <10%.
