Carlos Falcão

The relationship between occlusion and periodontal disease has been discussed for several years. While it is true that there is a consensus that periodontal disease is not directly caused by an occlusal problem, we know that the existence of a primary or secondary occlusal trauma can worsen the clinical signs of the disease.
For this reason, many authors advocate an initial occlusal adjustment simultaneously with basic periodontal treatment, as an obligatory part of the treatment, in order to allow a better recovery of periodontal tissues.
In many cases, as a consequence of periodontal disease itself, it becomes necessary to rehabilitate certain patients who have suffered consequences such as tooth migration, tooth loss or residual tooth mobility associated with moderate/severe attachment loss.
The question that arises is to know, on the one hand, what are the real benefits of a partial/total occlusal rehabilitation for the individual periodontal prognosis and, on the other hand, what is the predictability of the duration of this same treatment in teeth that are periodontal compromised.
The author intends to review, in light of current evidence, which criteria should be taken into account for adequate decision-making and which therapeutic options are more predictable in each clinical situation.