Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-reported questionnaire as an alternative to conventional clinical examination for the screening of severe periodontitis.
Materials and Methods: Eligible patients completed a structured questionnaire and underwent a comprehensive periodontal examination. Based on questionnaire scores, participants were classified into two groups: non-severe periodontitis (score <5>
Results: A total of 397 patients aged 15 to 79 years were included. The prevalence of severe periodontitis was 25.7% using the questionnaire and 11.1% based on clinical diagnosis. The questionnaire showed high sensitivity (95.45%) and good specificity (83.06%). The PPV was 18%, and the NPV was 99.32%. A moderate agreement was observed between the questionnaire and clinical examination (? = 0.498).
Conclusion: This study suggests that the questionnaire may serve as a promising alternative to conventional clinical examination for the screening of severe periodontitis in Côte d’Ivoire. Further data collection will be necessary to confirm these findings and refine the optimal cutoff score for use in clinical practice.
Keywords: Periodontal diseases, Periodontitis, Questionnaires, Screening, Diagnosis.
