Perception of Periodontitis Patients about Treatment Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Patient compliance following periodontal therapy is extremely important in predicting the prognosis of the disease and maintaining treatment outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the perception of periodontitis patients about treatment outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among periodontitis patients in a single dental center through a pre-validated questionnaire that was distributed to each participant in the waiting area of periodontal clinics by utilizing a convenience sampling technique. Median and interquartile ranges were used in addition to frequency and percentages. Bivariate analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test. Among the 300 male and female participants, the median score (interquartile range) of the current level of pain revealed that males experienced more pain than females, with a median score of 5 (0-7) for males and 4 (0-6) for women. However, the median (interquartile range) for desired and expected pain levels in both genders was 0 (0-1), 0 (0-4). There were significant differences in median score ratings between males and females for expected, distress, success, and importance levels (p-value < 0.05). Patients with periodontitis provided valuable insights into the experiences of individuals undergoing treatment for periodontal disease, indicating overall patient satisfaction with the expected levels of periodontal outcomes.