Assessment of Disease Levels and Factors that will Impact on Periodontal Status course for Dental Practitioners

This session introduces the principles of periodontal assessment alongside other aspects of assessment for a new or returning patient. The learner will understand how screening for periodontal disease will enable the clinician to distinguish between reversible gingivitis and different levels of periodontitis, as well as gaining an understanding of the incidence of periodontal disease likely to be encountered in a general dental practice setting in the UK.

Learning objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• distinguish between gingival health, gingivitis and different degrees of periodontitis
• demonstrate knowledge of the incidence of periodontal disease in the UK population
• recognise the importance of history taking in assessing periodontal disease risk
• describe how to assess oral hygiene status
• summarise and demonstrate the use of BPE in clinical practice and list the consequences of each score
• identify when and for whom a full periodontal examination is required

While gingivitis is a common condition in western populations, resulting in no irreversible damage to the periodontal tissues, periodontitis results in permanent loss of soft tissue attachment and bone. Over usually lengthy periods, such attachment loss can lead to loss of teeth which in turn can have a profound effect on an individual’s quality of life.