Premium
Periodontal furcation lesions: A survey of diagnosis and management by general dental practitioners
Author(s) -
Nibali Luigi,
Shemie Melissa,
Li Guanhong,
Ting Rachel,
Asimakopoulou Koula,
Barbagallo Giovanni,
Lee Ryan,
Eickholz Peter,
Kocher Thomas,
Walter Clemens,
Aimetti Mario,
Rüdiger Stefan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of clinical periodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.456
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1600-051X
pISSN - 0303-6979
DOI - 10.1111/jcpe.13543
Subject(s) - medicine , referral , dentistry , general practice , furcation defect , family medicine , molar
Aim The aim of this study was to explore general dental practitioners' (GDPs) attitude to periodontal furcation involvement (FI). Materials and methods An online survey focused on diagnosis and management of periodontal FI was circulated to GDPs in seven different countries. Results A total of 400 responses were collected. Nearly a fifth of participants reported rarely or never taking 6‐point pocket charts; 65.8% of participants had access to a Nabers probe in their practice. When shown clinical pictures and radiographs of FI‐involved molars, the majority of participants correctly diagnosed it. Although 47.1% of participants were very/extremely confident in detecting FI, only 8.9% felt very/extremely confident at treating it. Differences in responses were detected according to country and year of qualification, with a trend towards less interest in periodontal diagnosis and treatment in younger generations. Lack of knowledge of management/referral pathways (reported by 22.8%) and lack of correct equipment were considered the biggest barriers to FI management. Most participants (80.9%) were interested in learning more about FI, ideally face to face followed by online tutorials. Conclusions Plans should be put in place to improve general dentists' knowledge and ability to manage FI, as this can have a significant impact on public health.