Microbiologic Findings in Relation to Risk Assessment for Periodontal Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In this study, an association between a computerized risk calculator and microbiologic testing is examined in patients with periodontitis. METHODS: Seventy-four patients with moderate and severe periodontitis were selected from patients receiving treatment at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Their periodontal risk was analyzed with a periodontitis risk assessment tool, and microbiologic testing was performed. Periodontitis risk assessment and microbiologic testing were examined for a possible association. The data were evaluated by the χ(2) test at P <0.05 levels. RESULTS: Forty-six patients scored as having a "very high" risk of periodontitis and 22 patients scored as having a "high" risk of periodontitis by the risk assessment tool. Patients with a risk score of very high risk showed a higher detection of each bacterium except Capnocytophaga species than the rest of the study population. Treponema denticola and Prevotella intermedia (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively) were two bacteria that showed a statistically significant difference between patients at very high risk and those at high risk. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with periodontitis were identified as high risk and very high risk compared with the rest of the risk categories by the risk assessment tool. The study population, categorized mostly as very high risk, showed high detection of putative periodontal bacteria.