title: The influence of gingival health status on periodontal probing measurements. A clinical study in humans.
abstract: This study aimed to clarify the extent to which gingival health status alters probing measurements. One hundred sites from 26 patients undergoing periodontal treatment were selected as follows: 50 sites without inflammation and 50 sites with bleeding on probing even after basic therapy. All sites required periodontal surgery and were submitted to two probings with a constant-force probe (0.25 N). The pre-surgical probing (S1) measured the relative attachment level. The second probing (S2), during an open flap procedure, in the same location as S1, measured the distance between the occlusal surface of the stent and the bone crest. The difference between the measurements of the two probings (S2 - S1) performed at each site determined the distance between the bottom of the clinical pocket and the bone crest (S3). The median and the mean of the S1 measurements were 1.60 mm and 1.64 +/- 1.23 mm in the healthy sites and 1.50 mm and 1.63 +/- 1.03 mm in the bleeding sites, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between healthy and bleeding sites (Mann-Whitney test, p = 0.625). It may be concluded that the penetration of the constant-force periodontal probe (0.25 N) was not influenced by bleeding on probing.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Riberão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Sérgio L S
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Marcio F M
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Grisi
authors.forename: Arthur B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Novaes
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taba
mesh_terms: D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000503:physiopathology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D010517:Periodontics / Q000295:instrumentation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013524:Surgical Flaps