Effect of periodontal therapy on patients maintained for 15 years or longer. A retrospective study.

A retrospective study of tooth loss in 211 patients who were treated for periodontal disease in private practice and maintained for 15 to 34 years on 3- to 6-month recall schedules is reported. The average age of the patients was 42 years, and the average length of time in maintenance was 22 years. On the basis of response to therapy, the patients were classified as Well-Maintained (62%), Downhill (28%) and Extreme Downhill (10%). Seven hundred and seventy-one (771) teeth were lost (13.4%) due to all causes. Molar teeth are the most prone to loss and the mandibular cuspid is the most resistant. The importance of maintenance therapy is emphasized.