Pre-treatment conceptions of periodontal disease and treatment in periodontal referrals

Background: Patients preconceptions of periodontal therapy have not been ex tensively studied and are poorly understood. Aims: To register specific anxieties and preconceptions held by patients re ferred for specialist periodontal treatment and to investigate the risks su ch patients were prepared to take of progressive periodontal problems befor e deciding that periodontal treatment was necessary. Materials and methods: 79 patients referred for specialist treatment comple ted a structured questionnaire. Participants completed visual analogue scal es to quantify the risks which they were prepared to take of various sympto ms of periodontal disease before they believed treatment was essential. Results: The majority (71%) had anxieties about pending treatment with the main concern being pain. Those who had sought information prior to treatmen t mainly did so from close relatives. The majority of patients opted to tak e no or a very low (< 20%) risk of any periodontal problems and, therefore, were supportive of treatment. The loss of many teeth due to periodontal di sease was the least acceptable outcome followed by tooth mobility. Patients were prepared to accept a significantly higher risk of bleeding on brushin g (p <0.0001) than any of the other outcomes investigated. Females recorded substantially lower risk scores than males particularly in relation to dev eloping recession or tooth mobility in the absence of treatment. Patients w ho were worried about experiencing pain during treatment recorded lower ris k scores than those who had no anxiety regarding pain. Conclusion: It is concluded that the Norwegian periodontal referrals studie d were prepared to take very low risks of further periodontal symptoms desp ite high levels of anxiety and evidence of a lack of knowledge regarding pe riodontal treatment.