How do I explain, without discouraging a patient, why their disease score remains high after treatment?
The disease score is indicative of the past history of disease and does not accurately predict either future periodontal deterioration or the successfulness of treatment especially when preventive interventions are applied. The disease score is formulated from the worst pocket dept and bone level in each sextant. For example, hypothetically, a patient’s perio condition could improve at all sites except the worst site in every sextant. Whilst unlikely, the disease scores would remain the same when clearly a detailed chart would show otherwise. It is important that clinicians assess treatment outcomes using detailed 6 point periodontal charts. PreViser is not intended to be an outcome measure of treatment but to illustrate to patients improvements in their disease status.
