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PERIODONTAL
DISEASES
Introduction
In assessing risk for disease,
periodontitis can be thought to be
more like some of our common
medical conditions: certain people
are at higher risk than others, and
efforts at prevention and
intervention involve a combination of
personal behaviors and professional
practices.
Risk assessment efforts applied to
periodontitis have only recently received
attention, primarily because of the prior
paradigm regarding the etiology and
progression of the disease involved a
ubiquitous condition, gingivitis inevitably
leading to periodontitis.
Under this paradigm, the prevalence of the
condition was extremely high and little error
in prediction resulted when everyone was
categorized as having the disease.
As our concepts of periodontal diseases
evolved, we realized that the prevalence
and incidence rates for periodontitis
were much lower than were estimated
previously and that some people were
more likely to be affected with the
condition than others.
It is no longer appropriate to consider
all people to be at the same level of risk
for periodontitis.
Thus, the identification of risk factors
serves two important purposes.
Risk factors should be able to be used
to more accurately identify who is at
risk for the condition and
They can provide clues to appropriate
avenues of intervention.
THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS
In an attempt to clarify the process of
identifying high-risk individuals, a research
group at the University of North Carolina has
delineated a 4-step process.
Identification of risk factors.
Development of a risk assessment model or
models.
Assessment.
Targeting.
Beck JD, Kohout F, Hunt RJ 1988.
Identification of risk factors
Criterion Evidence