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Periodontics · single question

A female patient presents with probing depths of 5–6 mm without symptoms. What is the BEST initial treatment?

  1. Surgical periodontal therapy (flap surgery)
  2. Scaling and root planing (SRP) with adjunctive antibiotics
  3. Scaling and root planing (SRP) only — initial nonsurgical therapy
  4. Extraction of affected teeth
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Correct answer: C. Scaling and root planing (SRP) only — initial nonsurgical therapy

For a patient with 5–6 mm pockets and no symptoms, the correct initial approach is nonsurgical therapy: Scaling and Root Planing (SRP). This is Step 1 of the periodontal treatment ladder. Antibiotics are not routinely added to all SRP cases — they are reserved for generalized aggressive/Stage III-IV Grade C periodontitis. Surgery is considered only if nonsurgical therapy fails to achieve adequate results at the re-evaluation appointment (6–8 weeks post-SRP).

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