Risk assessment and periodontal prevention in primary care

The role of risk factors and risk assessment in the prediction of clinical periodontal outcomes, and thus in patient management, continues to be a subject of high professional interest and clinical relevance globally. Advances in our understanding of periodontal disease causality and the role of risk factors as predictors of future disease risk have led to the development of various quantitative tools to calculate risk and inform clinical decision-making. We review the conceptual basis for periodontal risk calculation and frame its potential, as well as its limitations, in the context of similar advances in medical care. Lastly, we discuss how broader health-policy changes are taking place that will probably lead to incorporation of risk-factor assessments in periodontal treatment planning and care management.