Periodontology in general dental practice.

Periodontal care in general dental practice has begun to develop in a pattern which distinguishes it from more specialised periodontal therapy delivered in practices and hospital units devoted to that activity. Thus, more emphasis is laid upon screening in general practice, with monitoring of treatment progress in patients with mild disease also requiring a novel approach. The system needs to be underpinned with carefully designed record-keeping arrangements. There now appears to be an urgent need for a simple but robust method of measuring the outcome of simple periodontal treatment in general dental practice if further progress is to be made in this important area.