NIWOP – pretreatment = the right start!

PD Dr. Kristina Bertl, PhD MSc MBA

Patient request: ‘I would like to replace my missing tooth – can I have an implant?'

In addition to implantological information, such as the patient’s available bone, medications, underlying diseases etc., several other very important factors need to be clarified before this question can be answered. Above all, these include the patient’s periodontal condition, their compliance and their smoking status. These issues are included and summarized in the first phase of the NIWOP workflow NIWOP Workflow (NIWOP – No Implantology Without Periodontology - )“ under ‘Pretreatment’. Everyone working in prophylaxis plays a very important role during this phase.

But why are these issues so important in pre-treatment? The reason why can be summarized very quickly and easily: a history of periodontal disease, residual pocket probing depths, inadequate compliance regarding home oral hygiene and during the maintenance phase, and smoking are all proven risk factors for developing peri-implant diseases.

That’s why the ‘implantation’ project should always commence with pretreatment, the reduction of risk factors, and the establishment of a healthy periodontal condition.

You can find detailed information about the individual topics in previous reports: