Historical insights in the progression and development of gingivectomy.

During the last three centuries since the identification of periodontal disease, various non-surgical and surgical forms of periodontal therapy have been described and documented in the dental literature. The main objective of periodontal treatment has been initially the removal of "diseased gingiva," either through the implementation of various surgical techniques, or through the application of caustic drugs or pressing patches. Although the differences in the suggested techniques created significant controversies between some of the greatest clinicians and researchers in dentistry, their main goals remained the rehabilitation of the oral cavity and the therapeutic management of the problems sustained from periodontal disease.