View Perio Data Entry screen. View Video, 18 min. 2 Sec.

Charting Sequence
The Perio Data Entry screen displays as a large grid with over 56 cells per tooth. You can randomly click into any cell and enter data, but the program has built-in sequencing options that will take you from cell to cell in a convenient and predictable order. Select Entry Order under the Charting Sequence tab in the lower right of the screen. The default setting is known as “F for 1-16; L for 16-1; F for 32-17; L for 17-32.”  To explain this in words, the default order is to start with the distobuccal surface of tooth #1 and go around the upper arch to the distobuccal surface of tooth #16. After all the maxillary facial surfaces are entered, the cursor moves to the distopalatal surface of tooth #16 and moves around the arch to the distopalatal surface of tooth #1. The cursor then moves to the distobuccal surface of #32 and goes around facially to the distobuccal surface of #17, and then moves to the distolingual surface of #17 and courses lingually to the distolingual surface of #32. There are eight other sequence orders to pick from.

Categories Included In Sequence and Sequence Order
There are 10 possible categories for which you can enter data. These include Pocket Depth(PD), Gingival Margin (GM), Attached Gingival (AG), Bleeding, among others. In any one sequence, you can indicate which categories you want the cursor to halt at and which to skip. This is accomplished by checking the desired categories under the Charting Sequence tab. For example, if you want to include Pocket Depth (PD) and Gingival Margin (GM) in your sequence around the mouth, you would check those categories. The sequence will begin with tooth #1 (unless it’s missing) and you will see the distobuccal cell on the Pocket Depth row highlighted and ready for entry. On your keyboard you press 3 (in this example). The cursor than moves to the buccal of #1. You press 4 (again this is just a example). The cursor next moves to the mesial of #1. You press 3. You have now finished entering the three buccal pocket depth measurements for tooth #1. If Pocket Depth was the only category selected, the cursor would move to the distobuccal cell for tooth #2 on the Pocket Depth row. However, in this example we said that we had selected Pocket Depth and Gingival Margin. Therefore, before leaving tooth #1, the cursor drops down to the distobuccal cell of the Gingival Margin row for the entry of that category. When the three Gingival Margin cells for tooth #1 are entered, the cursor jumps back to the Pocket Depth row, ready to enter tooth #2.

The order that is followed depends on the order in which the categories appear under the Charting Sequence tab. This order can be modified by using the vertically aligned arrow keys that are seen just to the right of the category check boxes. Click on a category to highlight it, then use the arrows to move the category up or down in the order.  The order that you set the categories will remain unless you change them again.

Entering Perio Data
Entering your measurements into the perio data entry grid has been made as streamlined as possible. We will examine each category in detail.

Entering Values Greater than 9
The perio categories of Pocket Depth and Gingival Margin allow measurement values up to 19 mm. Normally you simply press the appropriate number key on the keyboard for this entry and the number will appear in the cell.  The cursor will then move to the next cell. However, if you need to enter a number greater than 9 where two digits are required, a special protocol must be followed.