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	Monday 13th May 2002 Predicting Periodontitis An article in the latest Journal of the American Dental Association has proven that the use of a computer-based periodontal risk assessment tool can provide dentists with accurate treatment options for minimising disease risk as well as for repairing existing damage and improving overall oral health. The study authors looked at the efficacy of a computer-based periodontal disease risk calculator in predicting patients' future periodontal status and in transforming treatment from the 'repair' model, which focuses on surgical repair, to the preventive 'wellness' model. The patients were assigned a computer-generated risk score for periodontal deterioration, and the patients' status was assessed 3, 9 and 15 years later. A strong link was found between the predicted deterioration and actual deterioration as measured by alveolar bone loss and loss of periodontally affected teeth. The authors concluded, 'Our findings show a strong association between the assigned risk score and the actual periodontal deterioration observed during a 15-year period. The availability of the periodontal risk calculator should foster the transition from the repair model to the wellness model for the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases.'