Diagnostic accuracy of a combination of salivary hemoglobin levels, self-report questionnaires, and age in periodontitis screening

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the predictive performance of a combination of self-report questionnaires, salivary hemoglobin levels, and age as a non-invasive screening method for periodontitis. METHODS: The periodontitis status of 202 adults was examined using salivary hemoglobin levels, responses to 10 questions on a self-report questionnaire, and the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). The ability of those two variables and the combination thereof with age to predict the presence of CPI scores of 3–4 and 4 was assessed using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: CPI scores of 3–4 and 4 were present among 79.7% and 46.5% of the sample, respectively. The area under the ROC curves (AUROCs) of salivary hemoglobin levels for predicting prevalence of CPI scores of 3–4 and 4 were 0.63 and 0.67, respectively (with sensitivity values of 71% and 60% and specificity values of 56% and 72%, respectively). Two distinct sets of five questions were associated with CPI scores of 3–4 and 4, with AUROCs of 0.73 and 0.71, sensitivity values of 76% and 66%, and specificity values of 63% and 69%. The combined model incorporating both variables and age showed the best predictive performance, with AUROCs of 0.78 and 0.76, sensitivity values of 71% and 65%, and specificity values of 68% and 77% for CPI scores of 3–4 and 4, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of salivary hemoglobin levels and self-report questionnaires was shown to be a valuable screening method for detecting periodontitis.