Periodontal Status
Pronunciation: per-ee-oh-DON-tal STATUS
An assessment of the health of the supporting structures of the teeth—including the gingiva, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone—that must be documented before and during orthodontic treatment.
Full Definition
Orthodontic tooth movement in a compromised periodontal environment carries significant risks, including accelerated bone loss and tooth mobility. Periodontal status is therefore a mandatory consideration documented in orthodontic referral letters, treatment plans, and progress notes. Editors should ensure that any reference to periodontal status includes at minimum a description of probing depths, bleeding on probing, and bone level, and that the relevant Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE) score is recorded. The adjective 'periodontal' (relating to the periodontium) is frequently misspelled as 'periodontic' or confused with 'periapical' in lay-authored documents.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'periodontal' (adjective relating to periodontium), not 'periodontic'. Distinguish from 'periapical' (relating to the apex of the tooth root). BPE scores should accompany any periodontal status notation in formal documents.
In Context
- "The referral noted satisfactory periodontal status with BPE scores of 0 or 1 in all sextants." — Orthodontic referral letter
- "The editor queried 'periodontic status' in the draft report and corrected it to 'periodontal status'." — Proofreading note