Streamlining the treatment of periodontal disease will make 'untreaters' become treaters

Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

 

The prevalence of periodontal disease and the extremely low percentage of dental practices providing comprehensive periodontal care is well-documented. One needs to look no further than the data research provides over the last five to six years.

A 2012 study estimated that 47.2%, or 64.7 million American adults, had mild, moderate, or severe periodontitis in 2009 and 2010. In adults ages 65 and older, prevalence rates increased to 70.1%.1 A 2016 study focused on individuals ages 65 and older by socioeconomic and geographic factors, among others. The authors estimated the lowest prevalence of periodontitis in Utah at 62.3% and the highest in New Mexico, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia at more than 70%.2 It is safe to say that 62.3% is nothing to brag about, and the difference between highest and lowest is pretty small.

Why is the dental profession failing to address these extremely high percentages of people with periodontal disease? Certainly, an indeterminate portion of these individuals who have some level of periodontitis do not have regular dental visits. Even if half of the numbers are represented by people who do not receive regular dental care, the percentages of untreated individuals are still far too high. There are several reasons for this lack of care. Indifference is likely one of them. Inadequate time on the hygiene schedule is another. The bottom line, however, is that the “untreaters” have not made it a priority.

What if there were a way to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan with a simple, straightforward approach that did the thinking for us? What if we didn’t have to think about the diagnosis, case type, treatment plan, adjunctive agents, etc., and we just had to do what we were told? Wouldn’t we all prefer to have things figured out for us, so we could just follow the instructions? Would that increase the number of dental professionals who provide comprehensive periodontal care for all of their patients? There is no answer to that question, since such a device is not currently available. Only time will tell.