Significance of a simplified method for periodontal risk assessment in predicting periodontitis recurrence during supportive periodontal therapy: a retrospective cohort study

Aim: To evaluate whether patient-related risk scores generated with a simplified method for periodontal risk assessment (UniFe; Trombelli et al. 2009) may predict periodontitis recurrence during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). Material and Methods: At 2 clinical centers, data were retrospectively obtained from the record charts of 109 patients (age range: 22–62 years). According to the individual treatment plan, patients had undergone active periodontal therapy (APT) and had been enrolled in a SPT program for a mean of 5.6 2.2 years. Patient-related risk scores referred to the first visit following APT were calculated on a scale from 1 (low risk) to 5 (high risk) according to UniFe. Patients were grouped according to risk scores and compared for tooth loss as well as changes in radiographic bone levels and pocket probing depth (PPD) occurred during SPT. Results: After APT, 5, 6, 20, 65, and 13 patients showed a risk score of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The mean number of teeth lost during SPT ranged from 0 to 1.8 2.5 teeth in patients with a risk score of 1 and 5, respectively (p = 0.041), with a mean yearly rate between 0 (risk score 1) and 0.32 0.51 teeth/year (risk score 5) (p = 0.053). Mean bone loss and PPD increase during SPT were both ≤0.50 mm in all risk groups, without inter-group differences. Conclusion: Within its limits, the present study indicate that risk assessment according to the UniFe method may help to identify patients at risk for tooth loss during SPT.