Aim

The prevention of periodontal disease, as well as the management of every form of periodontal tissue damage, through providement of case specific treatment based on the biological principles that define periodontal health and its long-term maintenance.

Learning outcomes

The student, in the end of 5th semester, should:

• Know periodontal tissues and describe clinical and morphological features of normal and healthy periodontium.
• Understand the pathogenic mechanisms of periodontal diseases. Especially, he/she should know α) the role of calculus and iatrogenic factors in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases, β) the mechanisms of specific and non-specific immune response and c) the mechanisms of tissue damage and d) understand the reciprocal relationship between periodontal diseases and other systemic diseases.
• Classify and describe periodontal diseases according to their pathological features defined by contemporary official terminology.
• Know the methodology of examination and diagnosis and discriminate the basic clinical parameters that characterize pathological periodontium such as bleeding on probing (inflammation), deepening of gingival sulcus (periodontal pocket), the loss of clinical attachment and gingival recession.
• Know the diagnostic value of conventional x-ray techniques vs the modern digital imaging techniques, their benefits and limitations regarding periodontal disease diagnosis.
• Recognize the clinical and radiographic signs of the periodontal patient, in order to make periodontal disease diagnosis.
• Know the value of prognosis in Periodontology and which factors affect general and specific prognosis.
• Know the distribution and evolution of periodontal diseases or features in human population, as well as the parameters that form them or possibly affect them. Furthermore, he/she should discriminate epidemiological indexes and their usage.
• Know the goal and the aims of periodontal therapy.
• Fill and analyze the medical and dental history of periodontal patient, recognize existing periodontal lesions as well as possible synergistic factors.
• Know basic principles of chemoprophylaxis for the periodontal patient.
• Understand the hierarchy of therapeutic actions that are periodontium-specific, and recognize other therapeutics needs that are associated with the completion of periodontal therapy.
• Know the role of dental plaque in periodontal disease, its maturation stages as well as the modern techniques for its study.
• Know the methodology of proper oral hygiene (toothbrush, interdental brushes, floss) and apply them on casts.
• Recognize periodontal tools (for examination – diagnosis – scaling – root planning), the methodology of their sharpening, and how to properly hold and use them on casts.
• Be able to remove - with the use of periodontal tools - artificial calculus from casts and evaluate the roughness of root surface.
• Know methods of tooth splinting.
• Be able to discuss after lab exercises, to make a differential diagnosis, to emphasize specific points whenever being necessary, and to propose the appropriate therapeutic protocol in clinical cases that are presented with the usage of slides or video.

Content

1st period of courses: Introduction – Normal Periodontium: Gums, Periodontal Ligament, Cementum, Alveolar Bone. Pathogenesis of periodontal diseases: Microbial and immune factor, Calculus, Iatrogenic factors, Occlusion, Periodontal disease and Systemic diseases. Review and  emphasis on the main points of previous courses.

2nd period of courses: Pathology of periodontal tissues: Classification – evolution of periodontal diseases, Gingival diseases related to dental microbial film or not, Periodontal diseases and more specifically Chronic Periodontitis, Aggressive Periodontitis, Periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic diseases, Necrotic lesions, Periodontal abscesses, Periodontitis related to endodontic lesions, Congenital and Developmental Abnormalities, Osseous lesions in periodontal diseases. Review and emphasis on the main points of previous courses.

Seminar courses (Titles)

Introduction to Periodontology, Normal Periodontium (2 seminars), Microbial factors in periodontal disease, Immune factors in Periodontal disease, Calculus and Iatrogenic factors, Occlusion – Periodontal disease and systemic diseases, Classification and evolution of periodontal diseases, Gum diseases, Periodontal diseases, Clinical examination of periodontal patient, Tooth mobility, Radiographic examination, Epidemiological indexes, Prognosis.

Educational Methods

• Seminars

Criteria for successful completion

• Attending of 80% of seminars.
• Successful pass of lab exercises.
• Success in final exam.