Clinical Decisions for Periodontal Treatment in Germany and Switzerland

Objectives: To assess the views, knowledge and preferences of German practicing dentists in periodontology, focusing on the treatment of gingival recessions and severely compromised teeth, and to compare the findings with those of a similar survey in Switzerland.

Methods: A structured questionnaire with the same questions previously submitted to 3780 dentists in Switzerland was sent to 10585 dentists in Germany. The surveys were compared focusing on answers with at least 10% absolute or 50% relative difference.

Results: 1242 dentists (11.7%) sent back the questionnaire. Views and preferences in both countries were similar to a large extent. In general, the interest and the satisfaction in periodontics were moderate to high. Differences in the preferences to treat gingival recessions were noted: The Swiss opted for a change of the tooth brush more frequently, and tended to refer patients with advanced defects more frequently to a specialist. The Germans saw an indication for occlusal adjustment more often and displayed a higher inclination to treat recessions surgically. The poor confidence and perceived utility of periodontal therapy for severely compromised teeth, noted in the Swiss survey, was confirmed in Germany. There was an increasing chance for not choosing the extraction as the favored option for therapy with increasing interest or satisfaction in periodontics, or practicing in an urban area.

Conclusions: An increasing chance for not choosing the extraction as the favored option for therapy with increasing interest or satisfaction in periodontics, or practicing in an urban area, indicated that the selection of the dentist is an important factor for the patient to keep or loose severely compromised teeth.