External Validation of Periodontal Screening Using Self-Reports in Dental Settings

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Dental Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Severe periodontal disease (PD) poses a significant global health burden.
• Accurate screening tools are crucial for early detection and intervention.
• External validation of existing models in diverse populations is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To externally validate the Verhulst screening model for severe PD in a Portuguese population.
• To assess the model's discriminative performance and clinical applicability.
• To evaluate the model's utility in Portuguese dental settings.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 310 adults from a Portuguese university dental clinic.
• Participants completed a validated oral health questionnaire (screening model).
• Periodontal examination used the CPITN index; severe PD defined as a score of 4.

Main Results:

• 51% of participants were diagnosed with severe PD.
• The Verhulst model achieved an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.72.
• Sensitivity and specificity were approximately 0.71 and 0.72, respectively, with reasonable calibration.

Conclusions:

• The Verhulst model demonstrates acceptable external validity in the Portuguese population.
• The model is a feasible screening tool for severe PD in Portuguese dental settings.
• Integration of this tool may improve early diagnosis and interdisciplinary care.