Scenarios - Perio Flashcards
(4 cards)
A 22-year-old patient has bleeding gums but no pain. Probing depths are mostly 4-5mm. The patient brushes once a day and never flosses. How would you approach patient education?
You are showing early signs of early periodontal disease. You must brush 2 x a day for 2 mins each time. You should ideally be flossing once a day but to start you should set a goal of 3 x a week. We recommend a dental cleaning.
If you do not make these changes, the condition can worsen - leading to bone and teeth loss.
A 55-year-old patient has 6+ mm pockets and heavy calculus build up. They say, “it’s normal for gums to bleed a little. I dont want deep cleaning”. How would you respond?
It is not normal for your gums to bleed. You have an advanced moderate stage of periodontal disease. If your perio pockets worsen, you are at risk for loosing teeth.
A deep cleaning will remove the calculus build up and help your condition from worsening.
You notice a 35-year-old smoker has moderate periodontitis. They say they aren’t ready to quit smoking. How will this impat treatment plan? How would you approach patient education?
Smoking can cause gum disease. Without quitting, your condition cannot improve.
