Evidence-based rationale supports a national periodontal disease screening program.
BACKGROUND
The evidence-based decision-making process that led to the inclusion of periodontal diseases (PD) in the newly revised Austrian National Periodic Health Examination (PHE) is described. Although intraoral inspection by physicians had already been a routine part of the PHE, obvious signs of PD, which are highly prevalent in Austria, have been largely ignored.


OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this periodontal screening (PS) program are to direct persons with a series of identifiable risk factors to seek proper care.


METHODS
The PS program development methodology was based on 2 factors: a systematic review of evidence-based publications that establish correlations between individual risk factors or multifactorial risk models with an increased susceptibility to progression of PD, and a selection of brief and cost-effective screening interventions that could be administered by nondental clinicians such as general physicians.


RESULTS
The final screening model is a 3-step intervention:


CONCLUSIONS
The final PS model within the Austrian PHE is based on a wealth of data justifying an evidence-based intervention. The Austrian population is likely to benefit in many ways from the intervention through increased awareness of PD and through a collaboration of medical and dental clinicians in their prevention.
Luciak-Donsberger
Claudia
C
Department of Periodontology and Prophylaxis, Bernhard Gottlieb School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
Piribauer
Franz
F
D001317:Austria; D003663:Decision Trees; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires