Periodontal Risk Assessment
Also written as: PRA — Periodontal Risk Assessment
A systematic evaluation of patient-specific biological, behavioural, and clinical factors that predict susceptibility to periodontal disease initiation or progression.
Full Definition
Periodontal risk assessment (PRA) integrates multiple risk indicators—including smoking status, diabetes control, bleeding on probing, probing depth, tooth loss history, and radiographic bone loss pattern—to estimate an individual patient's likelihood of disease progression and guide supportive care intervals. Validated tools such as the Lang and Tonetti risk assessment model and the PreViser system are referenced in the literature. Editors should ensure that manuscripts using PRA define which validated tool or criteria were applied, as the term is not method-specific. PRA should be distinguished from periodontal diagnosis; diagnosis describes current disease status, while risk assessment predicts future behaviour.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from periodontal diagnosis and staging. Editors should verify which validated PRA tool is referenced in any manuscript using this term.
In Context
- "Periodontal risk assessment placed the patient in the high-risk category owing to poorly controlled type 2 diabetes and current cigarette smoking." — Supportive periodontal therapy note
- "The study used the Lang and Tonetti model for periodontal risk assessment to stratify patients prior to randomisation." — Clinical study methods section