Risk Assessment in Periodontology - Systemic Risk Factors course for Dental Practice

This session will provide a basic education in risk factors, risk predictors and indicators, which ultimately enable the clinician to assess risk at the patient level. It will define basic terminology and discuss the different types of risk factors for periodontitis, including their mechanisms of action. The session will also introduce digital (computer) risk assessment software and take the practitioner through one such system in a practical case study.

Learning Objectives

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

• List the prerequisites for assigning the term ‘true risk factor’ to an exposure
• List the critical stages in the development of periodontal tissue destruction, and how these relate to risk factors that patients are exposed to
• Identify the key risk factors for periodontitis and the evidence base for each
• Describe the basic mechanisms that underpin the principle risk factors for periodontitis
• Describe the principles of risk assessment
• Recognise the benefits of online risk assessment tools

Inflammatory periodontal diseases are amongst the most prevalent chronic diseases of humans, and a major cause of tooth loss. Patients vary greatly in their risk for developing disease, and risk assessment has become a fundamental component of modern preventive practice.