Perio Charting is a Non-Negotiable Diagnostic Process. Let me say that again louder for the people in the back. If we’re going to be part of a future that integrates oral health with overall health through unified medical and dental records, we need to take clinical documentation seriously. And that starts with periodontal health.
I’ve been spreading the word about the FDI and Henry Schein collaboration on the Integrated Health Records Project. There are eight core oral health indicators outlined for this initiative, and the very first one on the list is periodontal health. It’s not a coincidence. Periodontal charting isn’t just a task we get to when we have time it’s a diagnostic requirement. Without it, you cannot diagnose periodontal disease.
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The Excuse I Hear Too Often
A few years ago, I visited a dental practice in Atlanta. Before the in-person session, I always do a remote software assessment. I couldn’t find a single periodontal chart in Dentrix. My first assumption was that they were still using paper. But when I got onsite and asked the hygienists about it, the answer stunned me: “We don’t have time to do it.” The doctor shrugged and admitted they’d let it slide. That changed that very day. We built systems and processes to make perio charting part of their regular routine. Why? Because Perio Charting is a Non-Negotiable Diagnostic Process.
Fast forward to just a few weeks ago, another practice I assessed said, “We don’t do perio.” I thought maybe they referred everything out to a periodontist. Nope. They just weren’t diagnosing it. According to the ADA, nearly 50% of U.S. adults have some form of periodontal disease. If your perio coding numbers are under 10%, something’s wrong and we need to fix it.
Making It Work in Your Schedule
Let’s talk about real solutions.
At that Atlanta practice, we implemented alternating visits. Patients would get their bitewing imaging at one visit and periodontal charting at the next. This way, perio charting got done at least once a year, which is the minimum standard. The doctor was on board, and it worked beautifully. Other practices have dedicated hygiene assistants. These assistants can help with imaging, health history, and yes periodontal charting. Even a trained front office team member (like I was!) can step in once or twice a day to help chart. It’s a simple task when you know what you’re listening for and it gives you a break from your desk. We also had a high school intern once who was trained and HIPAA-compliant. She helped with perio charting, which was a cost-effective and efficient solution.
Let’s Talk Tech: AI to the Rescue
Now, if you’re trying to build a modern, efficient dental practice, you have to consider AI. Tools like BOLA AI are changing the game. You speak, it listens, and the charting is done. The patient hears their numbers being called out, and the software records everything. Dentrix Voice Perio has been around for years, but BOLA AI takes it to the next level. Several of the practices I’ve worked with recently are using Detect AI for imaging. It’s improving patient trust and helping them understand their condition through a second opinion. The same can happen with perio charting. Perio Charting is a Non-Negotiable Diagnostic Process, and AI can help make it faster and more efficient than ever before.
I want to challenge you to look at your systems. Are you making perio charting a priority? Are you coding it correctly? If not, let’s fix that because Perio Charting is a Non-Negotiable Diagnostic Process. Whether it’s creating better routines, assigning tasks to trained team members, or adopting voice-activated charting tools, there are ways to make this work for your practice. If you want to dive deeper or explore tools like BOLA AI, reach out to me. And don’t forget this is just the first in a series on the eight core oral health indicators. Stay tuned for what’s next, and let’s continue building high-performing dental teams together.
