Premium
Important Differences in Clinical Data From Third, Second, and First Generation Periodontal Probes
Author(s) -
Breen Harry J.,
Rogers Pauline A.,
Lawless Helena C.,
Austin Johanne S.,
Johnson Newell W.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of periodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.036
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1943-3670
pISSN - 0022-3492
DOI - 10.1902/jop.1997.68.4.335
Subject(s) - third generation , first generation , periodontal probe , reproducibility , medicine , nuclear medicine , dentistry , chemistry , telecommunications , population , environmental health , chromatography , computer science
T his study compared relative attachment levels (RAL) and probeable crevice depths (PCD) from 6 periodontal probes (1 third, 4 second, and 1 first generation). A single clinician recorded RAL and PCD in 6 patients with chronic adult periodontitis (mean age 48.2 years) during two visits (interval: 1 week) using a Latin square examination order. Replicate measurements were recorded at the 4 interproximal sites of the Ramfjord index teeth to examine intra‐probe differences. Additional single measurements were recorded at similar sites of units 11, 26, 31 and 46 to investigate interprobe differences. Intra‐probe RAL and PCD reproducibility was ≥ 1 mm at > 94% of the sites. All intra‐probe Pearson correlation coefficients were > 0.85 ( P = 0.00). Inter‐probe RAL and PCD agreement was ≤ 1 mm at > 49% of the sites for RAL and > 61% of the sites for PCD. All inter‐probe Pearson correlation coefficients were > 0.42 ( P = 0.00) for RAL and > 0.49 ( P = 0.00) for PCD. Analyses of variance showed significant differences in RAL and PCD between the first generation probe and the second generation probes ( P < 0.005); in RAL between the third generation probe and the first and second generation probes ( P = 0.0354); and in PCD between the third generation probe and the first and second generation probes ( P = 0.0475). Inter‐probe differences were clinically significant in the recorded percentages of pockets ≥ 4 mm and ≥ 6 mm. Significant inter‐probe differences were found in RAL and PCD which have clinical importance in data interpretation and comparison. J Periodontol 1997;68:335–345 .