Evaluating patient perceptions as short-term outcomes of periodontal treatment: a comparison of surgical and non-surgical therapy.

To quantify patient perceptions of periodontal therapy, we administered a self-report questionnaire employing a visual analog scale (VAS) to 162 patients following surgical and non-surgical treatments. The questionnaire tested for variables of pain, sensitivity, swelling, function, altered appearance, comparison of postoperative discomfort to restorative treatment (crown or filling), discomfort experienced during the procedure, and resultant disability days. Tests of reliability indicated that with the exception of thermal sensitivity, the variables were significantly reproducible (r > 0.45 for all tests, P < 0.002). Analyses of variance indicated that in contrast to non-surgical treatments, surgery produced significantly more postoperative "discomfort" (P < 0.05) for all variables except experience, sensitivity, altered speech, and comparison to crown preparation. When analyzed according to the type of procedure, soft tissue grafts and osseous surgery produced the most postoperative discomfort. Pearson correlation indicated statistically significant (P < .0001) relationships between pain-related measures (postoperative pain, number of postoperative analgesics, days of pain, days of work missed, and sensitivity). Duration of pain was also found to be related to a history of periodontal treatment (P < .02), but not to previous restorative treatment. These data indicate that patient perceptions of periodontal treatment can be reliably measured and may be used to address appropriateness of care issues.