Emdogain is a product that consists of enamel matrix proteins and is obtained from porcine tooth germs. It has been successfully used in periodontal surgery for more than 20 years and, with the right indication and application, it can be used to achieve outstanding results including at least partial regeneration of periodontal defects.

As early as 2016 (Monsarrat et al. 2016), a study outlined a link between periodontitis and 57(!) systemic diseases, the most well-known of these being diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Time and again, these links prompt a discussion about the need for positive cooperation between dentists and doctors in order to improve early diagnosis of specific systemic diseases.

Experiencing cervical tooth sensitivity following periodontal therapy? Here’s what you can do about it! Non-surgical periodontal therapy can unfortunately entail a number of disadvantages, which are the sources of some complaints from our patients time and again. For example, they complain about the longer appearance of their teeth and/or about increased sensitivity of the exposed tooth cervix. Studies have shown that around 60 to 90% of our patients suffer from cervical tooth sensitivity in the period immediately following non-surgical periodontal therapy and that from a third up to a quarter of patients still suffer from cervical tooth sensitivity after 4 to 8 weeks (Lin et al. 2012).

Periodontitis and the related attachment loss inevitably lead to increased tooth mobility after a certain period of time. This increased tooth mobility often makes patients aware that “something is not right,” but for many patients it is also a very unpleasant side effect of periodontal disease and one which can make them feel as if they are losing their teeth.

The links between diabetes mellitus and periodontitis are very well described and documented in the literature. A specific malfunction in the sugar metabolism can occur during pregnancy, which is referred to as gestational diabetes. In Austria, around 5–10% of all pregnant women are affected by gestational diabetes.

Many beneficial effects on our health are attributed to the consumption of dairy products. Research indicates that there is a lower risk of diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. It also describes beneficial effects specifically for the oral cavity thanks to the consumption of dairy products. Certain studies, for example, showed that high and regular consumption of dairy products led to a lower risk of periodontitis.

Every day we try to persuade our patients to brush their teeth twice a day and to brush the interdental spaces at least once a day as well. However, we all know how particularly difficult it is to persuade our patients to brush the interdental spaces, as this calls for a certain amount of skill on their part.

The key to success in periodontal treatment is the cooperation of the patient. If the patient fails to comply every day of their life with good and efficient oral hygiene at home and fails to attend recalls consistently, we will unfortunately fail despite all our efforts.

Coffee is clearly one of the world’s favourite drinks! For example, in 2019 around 160 million 60-kilo sacks of coffee were consumed worldwide, and Austria is also one of Europe’s biggest consumers of coffee. In Austria, annual consumption is around 162 litres or 7.2 kilos – this equates to an average of 2.6 cups of coffee per person per day!

NIWOP è un flusso di lavoro pianificabile che inizia molto prima dell'inserimento dell'impianto e continua oltre il restauro protesico. Il suo obiettivo, a parte l'effettivo posizionamento dell'impianto, è ridurre al minimo l'incidenza di complicanze biologiche come la mucosite perimplantare o la perimplantite. (Il pre-trattamento secondo gli articoli della dott.ssa Kristina Bertl, PhD, MBA, MSc)

The discussion on soft, medium or hard bristled toothbrushes is not a new one, and yet new literature on the subject is appearing all the time, so it is something we are keen to address.

The ‘new’, although also now almost five-year-old, classification for periodontal and peri-implant conditions included a definition for a successfully treated periodontitis patient for the first time.

The optimal treatment result for periodontitis patients is for them to keep their own teeth in good condition for as long as possible. However, there are both patients and teeth with certain characteristics that make it significantly harder to actually achieve this objective!

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed and continues to pose major challenges for all of us – this includes our patients and their compliance in terms of attending regular dental check-ups. For example, already during the first few months of the pandemic, patients proved to be far more reluctant to attend medical check-ups and appointments (Makiyama 2020). Now that the pandemic has continued for far longer than initially anticipated, however, it is important for us to encourage our patients to begin attending regular appointments for check-ups and treatment again.