Il metodo UniFe per la valutazione del rischio parodontale.

Objectives: Periodontitis progression varies widely among individuals, with or without treatment. Not all risk determinants for periodontitis are relevant for diagnosing the disease. The purpose of the present report is to present two cases, which show how a simplified method for periodontal risk assessment (UniFe), devised by the University of Ferrara’s Research Center for the Study of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases, can identify differences in periodontal risk among individuals with similarly severe periodontitis. Materials and methods: The UniFe method is described in detail, and its use is illustrated for calculating periodontal risk in two patients with similarly severe periodontitis. Results: Periodontal risk assessment with the UniFe method revealed different risk levels in the two patients although both had similarly severe disease. The UniFe method revealed that the poorer prognosis in one of the patients was due to exposure to environmental risk factors (i.e., smoking) and a higher prevalence of gingival bleeding. Conclusions: Preliminary data suggest that the UniFe method is a simple and reliable tool for periodontal risk assessment and that it can identify differences in periodontal risk among individuals with periodontitis of similar severity.