Periodontal Screening, Where Are We Now? A Narrative Review Prevention of diseases begins with screening. An ideal screening tool identifies patients at an early stage to facilitate appropriate treatment modalities with the aim of preventing symptom manifestation, reducing disease severity, and improving health outcomes. Disease screening has been a fundamental component of preventive medicine and dentistry. In the context of periodontal disease, the basic periodontal examination (BPE) is one of the screening tools available. There is a high prevalence of periodontal diseases worldwide, indicating a global issue. Despite the significance of periodontal screening, it remains underutilized both globally and locally. The lack of routine screening contributes to poor assessment and treatment of periodontal disease. This article focuses on the epidemiology of periodontal disease, the associated challenges, current screening practices, and the future directions of periodontal screening. By addressing these issues, early detection and management of periodontal disease can be improved, ultimately enhancing oral health outcomes.

Electrolyzed water (EW) has been introduced as a surface disinfectant due to its antimicrobial properties without cytotoxic effects to oral tissues contrary to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), which is cytotoxic and can be detrimental if extruded beyond the root canal. This scoping review aimed to compare antimicrobial efficacy of EW with NaOCl on root canal pathogens and to assess effect of concentration and exposure time on antimicrobial efficacy. The review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews protocol guidelines. Electronic databases were searched for eligible articles published between 2011-2021 in PubMed, PLOS, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool was used for quality assessment. Of the 784 articles recovered, only 8 were eligible based on inclusion criteria. The included studies assessed several types of EW, which showed antimicrobial potential against E. faecalis in vitro in suspension and biofilm forms. EW demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy comparable with NaOCl in 5 of 8 studies. Only one study found that higher concentration and exposure time increased antimicrobial efficacy of EW; other studies showed otherwise. It can be concluded that EW can be a potential alternative solution for NaOCl as an endodontic irrigant.