A XXXX Severity Index.

@entity1 @entity32 @entity604 @entity2521
A @entity2521 Severity Index (PSI) was developed and then tested in a population of 154 @entity1 attending the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry screening clinic. @entity1 were grouped by age decade. The premises of the PSI follow: (1) @entity2521 is diagnosed on the concurrence of clinically apparent @entity32 and vertical loss of supporting periodontium (the severity of the associated clinical @entity32 does not seem to be related to the severity of the tissue loss) and (2) a Schei ruler is used to determine from the radiograph the percentage of @entity604 for a tooth surface. For each @entity1 , a 0 to 1 Clinical Inflammation Score (CIS) was determined at the mesial and distal of every tooth. A CIS of 0 reflected no demonstrable clinical @entity32 , whereas a CIS of 1 meant that clinical @entity32 could be detected. A modified Schei ruler was used to determine the percentage of @entity604 at each interproximal site. A Bone Loss Score (BLS) was calculated on a 0 to 10 whole number continuum. A BLS of 0 meant no @entity604 , 1 = up to 10%, etc., up to BLS 10 = 90 to 100% loss. The PSI was then calculated for each mesial and distal surface. PSI = BLS X CIS. The PSI could be 0 if either no @entity604 could be determined or the gingiva was healthy. In the presence of @entity32 , the PSI value was directly proportional to the percentage of @entity604 . Mean PSI values were calculated for each age group. The PSI tended to increase with age. The PSI offers several advantages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
