Self-report assessment of severe periodontitis: Periodontal screening score development

International audienceAIM - To derive from a validated questionnaire a periodontal screening score, intended as an user-friendly tool to identify individuals at risk of periodontitis in epidemiological studies. METHODS - A French 12-item self-reported questionnaire was developed by translating English questions previously used for periodontitis screening and surveillance. After a cognitive evaluation, the questionnaire was validated in a sample of 232 individuals (mean age: 46.1±12.6 years) receiving full-mouth periodontal examination, including probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level recordings. Case definition was based on the American Academy of Periodontology/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Logistic regression analyses and C-statistics were used to assess the validity and accuracy of the questionnaire and to develop the periodontal screening score. RESULTS - The sample was constituted of 109 individuals with severe periodontitis, who were compared with 123 individuals with no/moderate periodontitis. The questionnaire had moderate-to-high accuracy in identifying severe cases; the periodontal screening score (calculated on 5 self-report items, age, and smoking) showed a sensitivity of 78.9% and a specificity of 74.8%, with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.821. CONCLUSION - The periodontal screening score represents a valuable and accurate tool to screen for severe periodontitis at the population level