Periodontal care in general practice: 20 important FAQs - Part one

Abstract

answers to common periodontal care questions facing dental professionals in general practice. 1: Does periodontitis affect quality of life? Periodontitis is a common, chronic, multifactorial, inflammatory condition affecting the supporting tissues of the teeth. It leads to the progressive destruction of the tooth supporting apparatus and eventual tooth loss. There is now overwhelming evidence that periodontitis has a negative impact on oral health-related quality of life. 1,2,3,4,5 Significant impacts have been shown in the functional, physical, social and psychological domains. Severe periodontitis appears to have a greater impact than mild to moderate periodontitis. 6,7,8 It is important to be aware of this impact when assessing patients in practice. Discussions might include psychological concerns, halitosis, pain, and poor aesthetics. The periodontal treatment plan should be based on both the needs diagnosed by the clinician but also those perceived by the patient. The latest 'Global burden of diseases, injuries and risk factors' study demonstrated that, from 354 diseases/ injuries measured across 195 countries, the greatest age-standardised prevalence of 'years lived with disease' in both 1990 and 2017 were oral disorders, headache disorders, and tuberculosis including latent tuberculosis. 9 The periodontal data were true for both males and females and, unlike caries where age-standardised percentage rates had decreased, in periodontal diseases rates had increased between 2007 and 2017. 9 2: What's the latest on the role of diabetes in periodontitis? Diabetes mellitus is a long-term condition characterised by an inability to control blood glucose levels due to an absolute or relative lack of the hormone insulin or a lack of cell responsivity to insulin (insulin resistance). 10 The majority of people with diabetes can be classified as having type 1 or type 2, with type 2 diabetes being eight to nine times more common than type 1. In the UK, there are at least 3.2 million CPD: ONE HOUR CPD questions This article has four CPD questions attached to it which will earn you one hour of verifiable CPD. To access the free BDA CPD hub, go to https://cpd.bda.org/ login/index.php