| dc.description.abstract | The Dental Practice Act outlines the parameters for diagnosis and treatment that dental providers must follow when treating patients. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in malpractice or negligence. The new 2017 AAP guidelines provide clinicians with specific criteria to accurately diagnose and treat periodontal disease, reducing the risk of legal action. Historically, clinicians have used probing depths, recession, and radiographs to determine the patient’s periodontal diagnosis. The updated 2017 periodontal classification guidelines base a patient’s periodontal stage on the severity, complexity, extent, and distribution of the measurable amount of destroyed tissue. Additions to the AAP guidelines include separate categories for gingival health, periodontal disease involving implants and systemic health as determining factors of periodontal diagnosis and prognosis. The intentions of the new periodontal classification system is to assess specific factors that may contribute to the complexity of long term case management. Adherence to the 2017 guidelines will result in improved patient outcomes and reduction of risk for litigation for clinicians. The changes and additions made to the AAP classification guidelines enable a more accurate diagnosis for every patient type by providing a more specific assessment of the overall health of the periodontium. The 2017 AAP classification guidelines now address conditions that were previously overlooked and allows for recognition of a healthy patient. The new 2017 AAP classification guidelines provide for a more accurate overall assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease. | en |
