Pericoronitis is the medical term for an oral inflammatory condition brought on by an infection of the soft tissues in proximity to the crown of an immature tooth, including gingiva and dental follicle. It is believed that microbial entry into the follicular area begins the infection once the tooth's follicle establishes contact with the oral cavity. Pericoronitis's microbiota primarily consists of anaerobes. It is commonly accepted that the build-up of food particles close to the opercula and the occlusal injuries caused by the opposing tooth to the tissues present pericoronally both accelerate this process. Third molars that are oriented vertically are more frequently affected by pericoronitis than those that are oriented horizontally, which had a lower incidence of the condition. Pericoronitis may be more likely to develop in patients with impaired immune systems, such as those with uncontrolled diabetes or immunodeficiency diseases. Patients with acute pericoronitis exhibit regional erythema, edema, purulence, and intense throbbing pain radiating to the ear, throat, floor of the mouth, temporomandibular joint, and posterior submandibular region during intraoral physical examination. Advanced cases including those developing into cellulitis, Ludwig's angina and peritonsillar abscesses may necessitate immediate attention including surgical intervention. It is advised to utilize only localized treatment measures for patients with localized pain and edema involving the pericoronal tissues and are free of local or systemic symptoms. Antimicrobial therapy is advised if the patient is displaying regional or systemic manifestations in as well as local pain and edema. Surgery is advised only when there have been two or more incidences of pericoronitis or other pathological conditions which maybe potentially be complicated by the presence of partially erupted tooth.

Periodontal diseases refer to the diseases of gums or bone resulting in inflammation and loss of teeth. The disease affects adults more commonly, but children are also at risk of development of disease. Both modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors play a vital role in progression of disease. Risk assessment is of utmost importance in periodontics as it contributes to early prevention and management of the disease thus decreasing rate of progression and associated complication. For the purpose of risk assessment various assessment tools are available that are routinely used by dental practitioners. The aim of this research is to review the available information regarding the assessment tools used in periodontics. American academy of periodontology self-assessment tool, oral health information suite, periodontal risk assessment hexagonal diagram, periodontal risk assessment model by Chandra, are some risk assessment tools used by dentists. Almost 20% of patient population who require treatment to prevent or slow the course of severe periodontal disease can be identified by utilization of a risk assessment questionnaire. The risk assessment findings can aid in clinical diagnosis and designing of an effective treatment strategy which can enhance the quality of dental care for patients. Well-established theoretical literature is present regarding these assessment tools but data about their clinical use and patient outcome is very limited. In future more clinical research is needed regarding the use of assessment tools in periodontics as they are quite important due to their role in early identification and intervention and also in predicting future outcome.a