Acceptance of Surgical Periodontal Therapy among Patients Reporting with Periodontal Complaints - A Retrospective Study

Abstract

The progression of most periodontitis is considered to be slow and periodic in nature with relatively short episodes of rapid tissue destruction followed by prolonged intervening periods of disease remission. This ultimately presents less bothering symptoms to the patients and that eventually reduces the acceptance rate of surgical periodontal therapy.The literature evidence regarding the acceptance rate of patients for surgical periodontal therapy is lacking. Thus this retrospective study was designed with the aim of assessing the acceptance rate of surgical periodontal therapy among patients reporting with periodontal complaints and also to assess the factors that influence their acceptance.The data of patients who were advised for surgical periodontal therapy were retrieved from the university dental hospital patients database using inclusion and exclusion criteria which resulted in 1008 records. From this study population data regarding patients who had accepted and underwent the recommended surgical periodontal therapy was obtained. Other factors like disease extension, gender, periodontal therapy advised were taken into consideration to assess its association with the acceptance rate. The data was imported and analysed using Statistical Package for Social sciences version 16(SPSS,IBM corporation). The study results showed that only one half (50.9%) of the subjects recommended for surgical periodontal therapy accepted it and underwent the treatment. The acceptance for surgical therapy seems to be influenced by the age, gender, pattern of disease extension. Thus there is a huge lack in awareness and knowledge about the nature and progression of periodontal disease among the general population, that should be addressed by elaborate education, reinforcement and motivation of patients during the initial visits to the general dentist that may lay a foundation for understanding the disease's nature.