Self-assessed and clinically diagnosed periodontal health status among patients visiting the outpatient department of a dental school in Bangalore, India.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to assess the extent of agreement between clinical and self-assessed periodontal health status among patients visiting the outpatient department of M.S. Ramaiah Dental College, Bangalore, India.


METHODS
The study population included 216 patients aged between 20 and 44 years who attended the outpatient department of the M.S. Ramaiah Dental College, Bangalore. The study population was subjected to a self-administered questionnaire (questions regarding bleeding gums, deposits on teeth, receding gums, swelling of gums, loose teeth), which was followed by periodontal examination. The clinical examination included an assessment of the periodontal condition, using the criteria of Loe and Silness Gingival Index, the Community Periodontal Index, and Mobility, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study showed that the perceived periodontal health status was low and the discrepancy between the subjectively and objectively assessed needs was very distinct. The awareness of the periodontal problems has been reported to increase with increasing severity of the disease due to the destructive changes that set in.
Nagarajan
Sripriya
S
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, MS Ramaiah Dental College, Bangalore - 560 054, Karnataka, India. sripriya_vc@yahoo.co.in
Pushpanjali
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care; D003741:Dental Deposits / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012575:Schools, Dental; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology