Summary: Improving Periodontal Treatment Acceptance

Periodontal disease would appear to be one of those conditions that must be treated as soon as possible. So why do less than five percent of patients suffering from periodontal disease actually get the required treatment? The answer is complicated and the “fault” is shared equally between dentists, patients and insurance companies. Dentists must do a better job of conveying to patients the urgency of periodontal treatment and educating and encouraging them to undergo the procedures—dental patients, after all, are famously unwilling to get into the chair! And dentists must do a perfect job of “perio coding” to ensure the treatments and procedures are covered by insurance companies.