These data suggest that there is a significant tissue rebound following crown-lengthening surgery that has not fully stabilized by 6 months. The amount of tissue rebound seems related to the position of the flap relative to the alveolar crest at suturing. These findings support the premise that clinicians should establish proper crown height during surgery without overreliance on flap placement at the osseous crest.

No abstract

Patients with aggressive periodontitis can be both rewarding and frustrating to treat in clinical practice. Interindividual variation in response to therapy can be widespread, and we do not clearly understand the reasons for this variable response. It is possible that new research into the resolution of inflammation may reveal basic differences between patients with chronic periodontitis and those with aggressive disease. In addition, future research involving modulation of host inflammatory responses may clarify the reasons for the differences in clinical outcomes between patients. We think it likely that this research could result in further alterations to the classification of periodontal diseases, as with more knowledge of the mechanisms of disease it is possible that patients currently classified as having aggressive periodontitis may be found not to represent a single diagnostic entity. Better understanding of the true nature of patients currently identified as having aggressive periodontitis may therefore lead to more effective treatment approaches.

The results of this study confirm previous research demonstrating a low rate of postoperative infection following periodontal surgical procedures. Although perioperative antibiotics are commonly used when performing certain regenerative and implant surgical procedures, data from this and other studies suggest that there may be no benefit in using antibiotics for the sole purpose of preventing post-surgical infections. Further large-scale, controlled clinical studies are warranted to determine the role of perioperative antibiotics in the prevention of periodontal post-surgical infections.