Is periodontics a dying speciality

[jg68]

I was wondering if you feel that perio is a dying speciality and what you feel the future of the speciality will be focusing towards?? I am well aware that perio. is a speciality that is heavily research focused in academia but what is the future of clinical periodontics out of the dental school atmosphere?

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[TaliaTN]

Not in tennessee... too many folks that smoke and drink to excess, only brush ~5 times a week. We have lots of patients that could very much benefit from tx from a periodontist, and a lot of them do go and shell out the cash to save their teeth (while continuing to smoke... = patient for life).

Perio cosmetic surgery is becoming very popular, and implants I'm sure are a big thing as well.

From my perspective, it seems as though perio has gotten much better over time. The concern would be more GP's doing their own perio. Just my thoughts. Others?

 

[koobpheej]

i also think that newer treatments such as tissue regeneration and similar things will likely fall into the realm of the periodontists scope of practice. i think that it is currently in "lull" but with new technology, treatments, and research, the specialty will grow.

 

[J2AZ]

The concern would be more GP's doing their own perio. Just my thoughts. Others?

There is def a battle going on between GPs and Periodontists. Many GPs feel that if they refer the pt out the periodontist will keep them. I know in my area some offices have worked it so the patient rotates between offices every 3 months.

 

[DcS]

Implants, implants, and implants. Not just done in OS, many perios do implants for good reason.

 

[aphistis]

There is def a battle going on between GPs and Periodontists. Many GPs feel that if they refer the pt out the periodontist will keep them. I know in my area some offices have worked it so the patient rotates between offices every 3 months.

That doesn't seem like it'd be very good for establishing patient-doctor relationships. And besides, once the periodontist completed the therapy for which the patient was referred, shouldn't s/he return to the care of the general dentist for recall?

 

[egpndoc]

That doesn't seem like it'd be very good for establishing patient-doctor relationships. And besides, once the periodontist completed the therapy for which the patient was referred, shouldn't s/he return to the care of the general dentist for recall?

Thats what I would think.

 

[gryffindor]

Dental specialties apparently "cycle" in popularity. A few decades ago (like 70s, 80s), perio was a hot specialty while endo wasn't really so sought after. Now look, endo has way more applicants to be choosy and take only the best & brightest. Pedo is another specialty jumping up in popularity as well. I've heard this from many sources that specialties cycle. Maybe with the advances in perio mentioned on this thread, perio will start picking up in the next few years. Who knows, as rotary & implants get more popular, perhaps applications to endo will wane a bit.

It's hard to predict because you never know where the technology is going next. But I don't think perio is dying, there is still a need for it.

 

[texas_dds]

heck no. implants and tissue regeneration have made perio brand new.

 

[Mr. So-So]

I don't mean to step on any toes, but perio is the #1 most useless specialty.
(edit: actually it's prosth., but that specialty is already dead)

With the increased success of GP's soft tissue programs and the emergence of implants (no need for the herodontics) there are less "special" procedures for the periodontal specialists. There is a reason for the expansion into 3rd molar removal and implants.

Talk to your perio faculty about " referral challenges" for the specialty. This is not new.
😉

(endo is #2 on my list)

 

[GQ1]

I don't mean to step on any toes, but perio is the #1 most useless specialty.
(edit: actually it's prosth., but that specialty is already dead)

With the increased success of GP's soft tissue programs and the emergence of implants (no need for the herodontics) there are less "special" procedures for the periodontal specialists. There is a reason for the expansion into 3rd molar removal and implants.

Talk to your perio faculty about " referral challenges" for the specialty. This is not new.
😉

(endo is #2 on my list)

dont worry about us - we just wait for generalists to mess it up. why is a crown from a prosth $2k to 2500 and a dentist 1k if hes lucky. same with perio and implants - its not a dying specialty, with the increase in elderly pts and edentulism these 2 specilties will be even more needed

 

[drillerNfiller]

Perio is not dying. Theres been tons of recent advancements in the field. Advancements in implants, regenerative surgeries, research implicating systemic disease to perio status. Not too mention all the old dudes living longer and keeping their teeth longer. Sure GPs are learning implants, but they also have always treated kids, done endo, and put on braces. Not like any of the specialists are having a hard time getting by.

 

[J2AZ]

That doesn't seem like it'd be very good for establishing patient-doctor relationships. And besides, once the periodontist completed the therapy for which the patient was referred, shouldn't s/he return to the care of the general dentist for recall?

You would think so but once a perio patient always a perio patient. From what Ive seen, periodontists like to monitor their patients as well as keep their hygienists busy doing scalings. If you figure a healthy pt comes in for a 6 mth recall it does not hurt the doctor/pt relationship if the perio pt is on 3 mth recall and rotates btwn offices. What it does hurt is the GPs bottom line especially if the periodontist attempts to keep the pt.

 

[DIRTIE]

I don't mean to step on any toes, but perio is the #1 most useless specialty.
(edit: actually it's prosth., but that specialty is already dead)

With the increased success of GP's soft tissue programs and the emergence of implants (no need for the herodontics) there are less "special" procedures for the periodontal specialists. There is a reason for the expansion into 3rd molar removal and implants.

Talk to your perio faculty about " referral challenges" for the specialty. This is not new.
😉

(endo is #2 on my list)

How do you figure that endo is a dying speciality. Did you see the latest figures for endo 300K not bad. You think that it will get to the point when all general dentists will have all of the equipment to do a complicated molar, and do it as well as a specialist? Maybe you are right?

 

[KY2007]

I've never really understood perio as a specialty. I mean you have a bunch of people who are in your office because they don't care about oral hygiene, or else they wouldn't have 8 mm probing depths. Yet your job is to someone get these people to show up every 3 months for a recall. Good luck.

 

[oms fan]

I've never really understood perio as a specialty. I mean you have a bunch of people who are in your office because they don't care about oral hygiene, or else they wouldn't have 8 mm probing depths. Yet your job is to someone get these people to show up every 3 months for a recall. Good luck.

I feel the same way about perio. Don't get me wrong though...I don't think it is a worthless or dying specialty...They can do great things. I just see it as always fighting a losing battle and really just postponing the inevitable. I mean you have some guy who hasn't cared about proper oral hygiene for 40 yrs, your job is to try to motivate him to all of a sudden flip a 180 and become meticulous about his care. I couldn't do it. And, once they have thier 8, 9, 10mm pockets, the best you can do is expose that much root surface so they can clean the site predictably. Who wants to see teeth in their mouth that are 13mm long.
The periodontist at my school is awesome. I think he is one of the smartest doctors I have meet and he loves his specialty. He is the kind to guy who loves to try to motivate patients. I just couldn't do it. I really think you have to be able to hold someone's hand throughout tx. Every student I talk to though who is interested in perio only talks about doing surgery. They don't seem to give a crap about the plight that the patient is in. That is what worries me.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I've never really understood perio as a specialty. I mean you have a bunch of people who are in your office because they don't care about oral hygiene, or else they wouldn't have 8 mm probing depths. Yet your job is to someone get these people to show up every 3 months for a recall. Good luck.

LOL. Man, those comments struck me as being really funny. Too early in the morning? Perhaps.

 

[TaliaTN]

The periodontist we refer to has made amazing changes in the habits of some of my worst patients. That perio pt may be gone for a year or so, but our periodontist always sends them back. A lot of the time, the results are nothing short of AMAZING.

Our office refers to Perio more than endo, or pedo. Oral sx is probably #1, but perio is not far behind.

 

[lnn2]

I was wondering if you feel that perio is a dying speciality and what you feel the future of the speciality will be focusing towards?? I am well aware that perio. is a speciality that is heavily research focused in academia but what is the future of clinical periodontics out of the dental school atmosphere?

Dying specialty or not, a perio resident from my school had an offer for $225K/yr, 4days/wk 😱 Not bad for starter! I doubt that any one in perio department is really heavily research focused in academia! The future in perio is so bright that you might need to wear sunglasses!

 

[tx oms]

I was wondering if you feel that perio is a dying speciality??

Do you have to ask? Hell yes.