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Table 8 ‘Changes in periodontal-health score’: patient characteristics, results, specifications

From: Outcome measures for oral health based on clinical assessments and claims data: feasibility evaluation in practice

Patient characteristics and results per dental practice (DP)

Patients

DP #1

DP #2

DP #3

DP #4

All DPs

Per age group

- 18–39 years

50%

41%

48%

30%

45%

- 40–64 years

49%

52%

50%

57%

51%

- 64+

1%

7%

2%

13%

4%

Per socioeconomic status

- High

31%

73%

90%

70%

66%

- Middle

15%

9%

5%

4%

9%

- Low

54%

18%

6%

26%

25%

Smoking

10%

7%

16%

26%

12%

With diabetes

3%

1%

3%

4%

2%

n

102

138

105

23

368

Results, patients

Per index category DPSI category A *)

- 0

 

2%

  

1%

- 1

33%

1%

20%

4%

16%

- 2

9%

31%

64%

39%

35%

DPSI category B

- 3-

47%

46%

11%

48%

37%

- 3+

3%

1%

  

1%

DPSI category C

- 4

8%

17%

5%

9%

11%

With an

- Improved DPSI index

28%

20%

28%

17%

24%

- Impaired DPSI index

17%

18%

18%

17%

18%

Moved from

- DPSI category C to A/B

7%

7%

1%

 

5%

- DPSI category A/B to C

4%

4%

2%

 

3%

The distribution of DPSI-indices varied between the dental practices (p < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). The DPSI is the lowest in dental practice #3. There was no difference in patients moving from DPSI category C to category A or B between the dental practices (p > 0.05 Chi-square test), nor for patients moving from DPSI category A or B to category C (p > 0.05, Chi-square test). The DPSI of patients in age group 40–64 years was higher than of patients in age category 18–39 years (p < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U-test). There was no difference in DPSI between the different socioeconomic groups (p > 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test). Smokers and non-smokers have the same distribution of DPSI-indices (p > 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test). This is also the case for patients with and without diabetes (p > 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test).

Specifications of measure

Data source

Clinical records dental practice

*)

Assessment of DPSI

The DPSI-index is the highest measured score for measures in all six sextants [28]

DPSI category A

DPSI index 0 - no pockets deeper than 3 mm, no bleeding on probing, no calculus, no overhangs of restorations

DPSI index 1 - same as in index 0, but bleeding on probing

DPSI index 2 - same as in index 1, but with calculus and/or overhanging restorations

DPSI category B

DPSI index 3 negative - pockets of 4 or 5 mm with bleeding on probing WITHOUT gingival recession(s) above the deepened pocket(s)

DPSI category C

DPSI index 3 positive - pockets of 4 or 5 mm with bleeding on probing WITH gingival recession(s) above the deepened pocket(s)

DPSI index 4 - one or more pockets of at least 6 mm in depth

Numerator/denominator

Numerator:

a) number of patients that moved from DPSI-category A or B to category C

b) number of patients that moved from DPSI-category C to A or B at reassessment

Denominator: total number of patients with a repeated assessment of the DPSI-score

Inclusion criteria

• at least one oral health examination a year

• at least 2 years registered in the dental practice

• ≥18 years old