Periodontics

General Guidelines
Evaluation of the patient’s periodontal status requires obtaining relevant medical and dental history information and conducting a thorough clinical and radiographic examination. This includes an evaluation of extraoral and intraoral structures. All relevant findings must be documented. PSR is an appropriate screening procedure.

Extraoral tissues and temporomandibular apparatus must be examined and evaluated.
Intraoral tissues and structures must be examined and evaluated.
The teeth and their replacements, including implants, must be examined and evaluated.
Radiographs that are sufficiently current to allow for proper evaluation must be utilized.
The presence and distribution of plaque and calculus should be determined.
All relevant clinical findings must be presented to the patient and documented in the patient’s record.

Periodontics - Quality Evaluation Criteria

CATEGORY	DEFINITION	CLINICAL FEATURES	THERAPY OPTIONS	ACCEPTABLE	NOT ACCEPTABLE
Gingivitis	Inflammation of the gingiva around natural teeth or implants	Redness, edema, bleeding on probing, no radiographic bone loss.	Patient education; debridement of tooth surfaces; mechanical and/or chemical plaque control; evaluation of restorative factors.	Improved gingival tone, reduction of inflammation; acceptable plaque level.	Continuation of bleeding on probing, redness, and edema.
Periodontics	Inflammation of supporting tissues of the teeth which results in loss of periodontal ligament and supporting bone.	Edema, redness, bleeding on probing, and bone loss, resulting in loss of attachment. Clinical features may be generalized or localized, and could include health, slight, moderate and advanced conditions within the same patient.	Patient education; initial therapy including scaling and root planing, occlusal evaluation and elimination of local contributing factors; reevaluation; periodontal surgery, if periodontal health	Elimination of clinical signs of inflammation and reduced probing depths.	Continued inflammation and excessive probing depths.
Mucogingival Abnormalities	Aberrations in the relationship between the margin and the mucogingival junction (MGJ).	Recession, reduction of keratinized tissue, probing depths extending beyond the mucogingival junction.	Scaling and root planing; gingival augmentation.	No inflammation, satisfactory attached gingiva, acceptable patient esthetics.	Continued recession, exacerbation of the mucogingival defect.
Supportive Periodontal Treatment (SPT)	Maintenance initiated after completion of active periodontal therapy and continued at varying intervals for the life of the dentition or implant(s).	Continued monitoring through clinical examination, including periodontal charting and radiographic evaluation.	Periodontic debridement; adjunctive antimicrobial agents as necessary; retreatment when indicated.	Maintenance of periodontal health status attained as a result of active therapy.	Failure to offer supportive periodontal treatment.

The Medical College of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution.

Medical College of Georgia
Patient Services	A-Z Index \| MCG Home \| Site Search