Management of Generalized Periodontitis Stage III Grade B with Subgingival Curettage Procedure

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the supporting structures of the teeth that results in progressive damage to the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. This condition has become a prevalent disease worldwide, with a prevalence rate of 74.1% in Indonesia. In this case, a 24-years-old male patient presented with a complaint of frequent gum bleeding while brushing his teeth for past 2 months. The complaint was not associated with pain. The patient underwent scaling two weeks ago. Objective intraoral examination revealed probing depth greater than 3 mm called true pocket on the interdental surfaces of teeth 11–17 and bleeding on probing (BOP) of 32%. Periapical radiographic examination showed horizontal alveolar bone resorption of approximately 4 mm at the proximal surfaces of teeth 11–17. The diagnosis established was generalized periodontitis stage III grade B. The management for this case was subgingival curettage. Subgingival curettage was performed to remove the inflamed soft tissue from the apical portion of the junctional epithelium to the connective tissue of the coronal bone. The curettage treatment in this case can be considered successful, as the objectives were achieved—elimination of inflammation and the formation of new connective tissue attachment, as observed during the second follow-up visit after curettage.