Dental professionals get help with spotting periodontal disease

Allegations of failure to diagnose or treat periodontal disease account for about 10 per cent of claims notified to the DDU each year and some claims can reach £220,000 in compensation and legal costs.

The course, which has been co-written by the BSP and the DDU, combines the expertise of both organisations on the clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment of periodontitis, as well as the dento-legal aspects surrounding the condition.

Leo Briggs, deputy head of the DDU, said, “The typical symptoms of periodontal disease can be easy to miss until it’s too late to treat them effectively. This means that dental professionals have a critical role in monitoring patients’ periodontal health.

“Unfortunately, this is one aspect of dental practice that is not always given the attention it deserves. This is surprising when you consider that around 45 per cent of the adult dentate population in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have periodontal pocketing exceeding 4mm and just under 10 per cent have advanced periodontal disease which can eventually lead to tooth loss. Our new online course addresses gaps in both clinical and dento-legal knowledge and we hope it will improve diagnosis and treatment.”