Psychosocial aspects of periodontal disease diagnosis and treatment: A qualitative study

Patient-reported outcomes have attracted interest as there has been a shift from clinician-centric endpoints. This qualitative study aimed to develop an understanding of the psychosocial impact of periodontitis and its treatment.

Fourteen adults were asked to document their experiences of untreated periodontitis and non-surgical periodontal therapy at a university clinic, using written or audio-recorded diaries. The diary data were then used as a framework for semi-structured qualitative interviews, conducted at the completion of initial non-surgical treatment. Inductive thematic content data analysis was employed.

Three themes illustrated the detrimental impact of periodontitis: "concealment," "having a guilty conscience" and "patient comfort as paramount." These were related to a core underlying concept, "progression to a more positive outlook," which described a distinct shift in participants' attitudes and optimism after their periodontal treatment. Despite finding treatment unpleasant, the participants described profound positive influences on their social well-being, self-esteem, mood, work, relationships and outlook.

This study illustrated the broad psychosocial impact of periodontitis. The findings suggest that the benefits of periodontal treatment extend beyond improvements in traditional biomedical indicators to those which are more relevant and desirable to patients.