Evaluation of the FDI Chairside Guide for Assessment of Periodontal Conditions: A Multicentre Observational Study

Host mRNA Analysis of Periodontal Disease Patients Positive for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Tannerella forsythia

Periodontal disease is a frequent pathology worldwide, with a constantly increasing prevalence. For the optimal management of periodontal disease, there is a need to take advantage of actual technology to understand the bacterial etiology correlated with the pathogenic mechanisms, risk factors and treatment protocols. We analyzed the scientific literature published in the last 5 years regarding the recent applications of mRNA analysis in periodontal disease for the main known bacterial species considered to be the etiological agents: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Tannerella forsythia. We identified new pathogenic mechanisms, therapeutic target genes and possible pathways to prevent periodontal disease. The mRNA analysis, as well as the important technological progress in recent years, supports its implementation in the routine management of periodontal disease patients.

Diagnostic performance of the AAP/EFP classification and the CDC/AAP case definition among pregnant women and a practical screening tool for maternal periodontal diseases

Background and Objective

There is a limited number of studies on the performance assessment of the 2017 AAP/EFP classification and the CDC/AAP case definition among pregnant females. This study evaluated the agreement between these two systems and explored a practical tool for screening maternal periodontal diseases by general dentists.

Materials and Methods

Totally, 204 systemically healthy females at different phases of pregnancy underwent a full‐mouth periodontal examination. Demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and systemic conditions were recorded. Referring to the CDC/AAP definition, the diagnostic performance of the AAP/EFP classification was evaluated by the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and statistical tests (e.g., Youden's index and kappa coefficient). Additionally, a modified scoring system of the FDI Periodontal Diseases Chairside Guide (FDI‐CG) was formulated with the addition of pregnancy for testing accordingly.

Results

Overall, there were 22.1% of the participants in early phase of pregnancy (7–13 weeks) and 77.9% in late phase (34–36 weeks). The majority of them were below 35 years and non‐smokers without gestational diabetes. Notably, 30.9% of subjects presented with Moderate/Severe periodontitis (CDC/AAP), and 35.8% with Stages II‐IV periodontitis (AAP/EFP). Referring to the CDC/AAP definition, the AUC, Youden's index, and κ of the AAP/EFP classification were 0.979, 0.890, and 92.9%, respectively. The modified FDI‐CG system improved the AUC (0.815), Youden's index (63.0%), and κ (0.544) with reference to the original one.

Conclusions

This study shows that the AAP/EFP classification is in high agreement with the CDC/AAP definition among the pregnant women. The phases of pregnancy‐integrated FDI scoring system may serve as a convenient screening tool for maternal periodontal diseases in general dental practice.