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The importance of the Basic Periodontal Examination for paediatric orthodontic patients

British Dental Journal volume 231, pages 163–168 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Periodontal disease is considered to increase in prevalence around adolescence, owing to pubertal hormonal changes, early presentation in at-risk individuals and the challenges in maintaining patient motivation at this age. Adolescence provides the ideal stage of dental development for orthodontic assessment. Active periodontal disease can increase tooth mobility during orthodontic treatment. Therefore, it is essential that children and adolescents have appropriate and timely periodontal screening before commencing orthodontic treatment. The British Society of Periodontology and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry recommend a modified Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE) assessing index teeth for paediatric patients.

This paper will summarise the recommended paediatric periodontal assessment and review a case which highlights the need for routine periodontal examination of orthodontic patients, by both general dental practitioners and orthodontists, to identify patients at risk for periodontal disease. The modified BPE for this younger cohort is simple and allows for rapid screening of periodontal disease. Where it is needed, further detailed examination and treatment can then be initiated to prevent exacerbation of an existing problem.

Key points

  • It is essential for general dental practitioners, orthodontists and patients to work together to enable early identification of periodontal disease.

  • Periodontal examinations should be performed before specialist referral, and followed up with continued monitoring during and after treatment.

  • In paediatric patients, periodontal examination should include the simplified BPE as a minimum requirement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dental Core Trainee 3, Paediatric Dentistry, Royal Liverpool University Dental Hospital, UK

    Clarissa L. T. Dale

  2. Speciality Registrar, Orthodontics, Leeds Dental Institute, UK

    Kelly Smorthit

  3. Consultant, Department of Orthodontics, University Dental Hospital Manchester, UK

    Madeleine Storey

  4. Consultant, Department of Child Dental Health, University Dental Hospital Manchester, UK

    Vidya Srinivasan

Authors
  1. Clarissa L. T. Dale
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  2. Kelly Smorthit
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  3. Madeleine Storey
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  4. Vidya Srinivasan
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Correspondence to Clarissa L. T. Dale.

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Dale, C., Smorthit, K., Storey, M. et al. The importance of the Basic Periodontal Examination for paediatric orthodontic patients. Br Dent J 231, 163–168 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3292-5

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