Periodontal Disease Prevention Study

This study is one component of a program to improve the maintenance of good dental health and the prevention of disease by use of risk stratification methods to efficiently guide increased preventive services to adult dental patients who are at increased risk for the major dental diseases, caries and adult periodontitis.

The investigators will use a retrospective cohort model to analyze a large dental claims database to determine if the frequency of preventive services influenced the periodontal disease outcomes and to determine if periodontal risk assessment information can be used to stratify dental patients into "high risk" and "low risk" categories that influence the effect of preventive services on periodontitis outcomes.

Primary Objective To evaluate whether dental patients who are classified as "low risk" for periodontal disease progression, based on history of periodontitis (claims history), smoking, diabetes, and IL-1 genetic variations, have different primary and secondary endpoints if they had two dental cleanings per year compared to one cleaning per year.

Secondary Objectives To evaluate whether dental patients who are classified as "high risk" for periodontal disease progression, based on a history of periodontitis, smoking, diabetes, and IL-1 genetic variations, have different primary and secondary endpoints if they had two dental cleanings per year compared to one cleaning per year.

To evaluate whether dental patients who have had one dental cleaning per year have different primary and secondary endpoints if they are classified as "low risk" for periodontal disease compared to patients who are classified as "high risk." To evaluate whether dental patients who have had two dental cleaning per year have different primary and secondary endpoints if they are classified as "low risk" for periodontal disease compared to patients who are classified as "high risk."