Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting apparatus, which leads to attachment and bone loss and eventually to tooth loss if treatment is not provided. When the periodontitis-related bone loss affects the area of root separation in molars, a furcation involvement (FI) is created. This represents a challenge in the treatment of periodontally-compromised molars, affecting the majority of patients with periodontitis. Based on a prevalence of severe forms of periodontitis in the UK and worldwide of about 10% of the population and on previous studies, we can assume that at least 5-10% of the general population are affected by FI. Different treatment modalities are advocated for the treatment of FI, including non-surgical maintenance, resective (bone recontouring) and regenerative (reconstruction of bone and attachment) surgical treatments or tooth extraction. It has clearly emerged that FI at least doubles the risk of tooth loss. However, in the case of advanced through-and-through loss of attachment and bone in the furcation area (FI degree III), the clinician is often faced with a very difficult treatment decision, without being able to draw on much evidence from the literature. Interestingly, there are no randomised controlled trials exploring the most appropriate treatment for advanced furcation involvement. This has been highlighted in a recent systematic review commissioned by the European Federation of Periodontology.
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5-year tooth survival
Timeframe: 5 years