title: The accuracy of individual self-reported items to determine periodontal disease history.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of self-reported periodontal disease and symptoms to predict periodontal disease history in a German population. We analysed data from 246 patients who answered a self-administered questionnaire on self-perceived periodontal disease and self-reported symptoms of periodontal disease. Actual periodontal status was assessed from panoramic radiographs and periodontal disease was defined as > or = 3 teeth with radiographic alveolar bone loss (ABL) > 5 mm (prevalence 39%). Sensitivity (SN) and specificity (SP) of self-reported items for diagnosis of periodontal disease history were calculated. The diagnostic accuracy of any individual item was generally low. For example, self-perceived periodontal disease had SN of 49% and SP of 67%. All self-reported items had low sensitivity, while self-reported professionally diagnosed bone loss, tooth loss caused by periodontal disease and mobility had SP > 90%. In conclusion, we did not identify a single individual question that can assess periodontal disease from self-reporting with satisfactory validity. Future studies will evaluate whether multivariate prediction rules using information from several self-reported variables are a valid means to ascertain periodontal disease history.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology and Synoptic Dentistry, Charité, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany. tdietric@bu.edu
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stosch
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schamberger
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bernimoulin
authors.forename: Kaumudi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Joshipura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000145:classification; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000145:classification