Ute Schneider-Moser  

Orthodontics and periodontics: friends or foes?

Keynote Lecture - Friday, September 20, 2019

The relationship between orthodontics and periodontology remains a hot topic. The main question is whether orthodontic treatment is beneficial for periodontal health or can jeopardize the integrity of both the hard and soft-tissue envelope. The majority of the existing scientific literature relieves orthodontists from being the main culprits of periodontal damage. However, tooth movements which exceed the natural boundaries are risk factors for causing osseous fenestrations and dehiscences, which will secondarily lead to gingival recessions. Uncontrolled tipping, excessive proclination, and substantial arch expansion are typical causes for overpowering the hard and soft tissue scaffold and should thus be avoided. On the other hand, carefully managed orthodontic treatments can reposition misaligned teeth over basal bone to improve a compromised periodontal support and even recuperate soft-tissue defects. The author will critically comment on the evidence-based literature and add clinical examples in order to illustrate that orthodontics can be in fact a double-edged sword.

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