Maintenance Phase

Chronic periodontitis is an infectious disease caused by an opportunistic micro-flora. The infection triggers host inflammatory responses resulting in the destruction of the tooth supporting tissues. Neither the infection nor the host's inflammatory responses are completely understood. Epidemiological studies suggest that in adult populations the prevalence of chronic periodontitis is common. Untreated chronic periodontitis has been described as a slowly progressive disease affecting individual teeth or tooth sites, showing evidence of periods of stability and periods of progression.