Dental Unfiltered Episode 169- Clinical Unfiltered | Periodontal Classification System w/ Dr Polly
Feb 19, 2026
Dr. Polly (Periopauly), a periodontist and dental educator who simplifies complex perio topics on Instagram. She breaks down the 2017 periodontal classification, explains staging and grading, and contrasts Miller vs Cairo recession systems. They also discuss soft-tissue classifications and how to communicate these concepts clearly to patients.
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Instagram Sparked Her Educational Journey
- Polly started Periopauly after residency and COVID removed her job, and she used Instagram to study and teach the new classification.
- Making digestible posts helped her learn and connected her with peers who found the summaries useful.
Visuals Make The Complex Digestible
- The 2017 periodontal classification is dense but visually structured to condense complex literature.
- Presenting it visually makes the material far easier to ingest for clinicians.
Adopt New Classification Language
- Use the new classification language when writing referrals and notes to align with current practice.
- Encourage teams and newer grads to adopt the new terms to standardize communication.