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Case Presentations Demonstrating Periodontal Treatment Variation: PEARL Network
Frederick A Curro1, Ashley C Grill2, Abigail G Matthews3
1Director, Practitioners Engaged in Applied Research and Learning (PEARL) Network, New York, New York.
Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry (Jamesburg, N.J. : 1995)
|June 9, 2015
Summary
Inconsistent periodontal terminology impacts diagnosis and treatment planning among dentists. Implementing standardized diagnosis codes, like ICD-10, can improve accuracy and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Periodontology
- Medical Terminology
Background:
- Variations in periodontal terminology can influence diagnosis and treatment planning for general dentists.
- Practitioners in the Practitioners Engaged in Applied Research and Learning (PEARL) Network are highly qualified but may not represent the general dentist population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of periodontal terminology variation on diagnosis and treatment planning among general dentists.
- To explore the potential benefits of standardized diagnosis coding for improving periodontal care.
Main Methods:
- Ten randomized case presentations covering periodontal health to severe periodontitis were presented to dentists.
- Treatment recommendations were compared across different diagnosis groups.
Main Results:
- Dentists exhibited variability in diagnosing cases, leading to inconsistent treatment plans.
- Discrepancies in diagnosis and treatment were noted particularly for gingivitis and milder forms of periodontitis.
- Diagnoses were compared against those made by two practicing periodontists.
Conclusions:
- Lack of clarity in periodontal terminology affects diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Standardized diagnosis codes could enhance the assessment of treatment outcomes.
- The study supports the integration of dentistry and medicine using ICD-10 terminology for best practices.