The dreaded words “you have gum disease” is something people look upon as a failure in their own healthcare and is only for those who don’t brush and floss. According to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control around 50% of adults above the age of 30 have some kind of gum disease. As a person ages they become more vulnerable to infections either because of decline in personal health care, taking medications that cause dry mouth, or other immune system failures such as diabetes. 65% of adults above the age of 65 have some form of moderate to severe gum disease with bone loss and tooth loss.
Dental practices that have a large demographic of patients over the age of 30 should take careful measures to monitor the periodontal condition and to proactively treat patients seen in decline.
Properly assessing the patient’s risk for periodontal disease and getting them on a routine to fight the progression of the disease is imperative. For proper documentation, if a new patient or existing patient shows evidence of periodontal disease use the code D0180 Periodontal evaluation to do a comprehensive evaluation with 6 point periodontal probe noting any bleeding points or furcation, mobility any any necessary radiographs to document the loss of attachment.
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