What is the recommended frequency of PSR screening?

What is the recommended frequency of PSR screening?

• A. Only at initial visit.
• B. At baseline and at periodic recall visits per the clinician's protocol.
• C. Annually only.
• D. On every individual tooth.

Answer: (B)

PSR is designed as a rapid, chairside screening to monitor periodontal health over time. The proper approach is to perform it at baseline to establish a starting point and then repeat it at periodic recall visits according to the clinician’s protocol. This keeps track of any progression or improvement and helps determine when a full periodontal examination is needed. Doing it only at the initial visit or only annually would miss changes that occur between visits, and screening on every tooth isn’t how PSR is used—it's organized to assess broader regions (sextants) efficiently, with a plan to probe further if a sextant flags a concern.

PSR is designed as a rapid, chairside screening to monitor periodontal health over time. The proper approach is to perform it at baseline to establish a starting point and then repeat it at periodic recall visits according to the clinician’s protocol. This keeps track of any progression or improvement and helps determine when a full periodontal examination is needed. Doing it only at the initial visit or only annually would miss changes that occur between visits, and screening on every tooth isn’t how PSR is used—it's organized to assess broader regions (sextants) efficiently, with a plan to probe further if a sextant flags a concern.