Periodontal Screening and Recording: Its Use When Detecting Periodontal Disease

Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) is a rapid and inexpensive method of screening patients to decide if a more comprehensive assessment is necessary. After taking Periodontal Screening and Recording: Its Use When Detecting Periodontal Disease, the participant will be able to explain the benefits of the PSR system, use the PSR system in a clinical setting, interpret a patient’s PSR score, identify who should be assessed with a more comprehensive periodontal exam and discuss the PSR system with patients.

A complete periodontal assessment includes a thorough review of the patient's medical and dental histories, as well as the recording of gingival findings including probing depths, clinical attachment levels, tooth mobility and position, furcation involvement, bleeding on probing, occlusal relationships, and bone levels⁶

It is important the dentist or dental hygienist monitor and evaluate a patient's periodontal status on a regular basis. Periodontal diseases are the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.¹ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 47.2% of adults in the United States have a form of periodontal disease. The rate increases to 70.1% for those Americans age 65 and older.⁹ A 2012 study by Eke et al. found periodontal disease to be more common in men than in women and in adults who had not completed high school.¹⁰ Every oral examination should include an evaluation of the periodontium. The ultimate goal of the periodontal assessment is to identify and classify periodontal disease.³ Although the Periodontal Screening and Recording^® (PSR) is not intended to replace a full mouth probing and recording of findings, it is a rapid method of screening patients to decide if a more comprehensive assessment is necessary. The dentist or dental hygienist must decide, upon completion and documentation of their patient’s PSR scores, whether the patient should receive a full periodontal examination. This would result in the patient’s classification of periodontal disease characterized by the staging and grading system as recommended by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).¹⁵