The role of the specialist periodontist.

The major portion of periodontal care of the population belongs in the hands of the general dentist. This is because of the overwhelming number of patients with periodontal disease and the intimate relationship between the periodontal condition and restorative dentistry. The probable increase, in the near future, in the number of patients with periodontal problems will necessitate a greater understanding and an increased level of expertise for their solution on the part of the general practitioner of dentistry. However, there will always be a need for specialists to treat particularly difficult cases, patients with systemic health problems and situations in which complex prosthetic construction requires absolute assurance of reliable results.