Thank you for publishing the results of Dr. Loesche and colleagues’ landmark study ("The Nonsurgical Treatment of Patients With Periodontal Disease: Results After Five Years," March JADA). As practitioners, it is our obligation to do not simply what we are good at, but rather that which is good for our patients.
The advances in conservative periodontal therapy clearly indicated by this work will in no way threaten the specialized practice of periodontics, but instead will allow for a great elevation of the science in the same way that medical cardiology has broadened and elevated that field.
Congratulations to JADA for taking the challenge of publishing what some might consider controversial works. Our future lies in our willingness to accept and encourage growth and improvement. Only by participating in the medical treatment of oral disease will we earn the right to continue our role as doctors rather than become relegated to technician status.
The choice is ours. Let’s choose our future.
