title: Repeatability of ultrasonic determination of gingival thickness.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to assess the degree of disagreement of ultrasonic measurements of gingival thickness at different teeth. Gingival thickness was determined in 33 volunteers with plaque-induced gingivitis. Facial/buccal gingiva was measured at the level of the gingival sulcus depth. Measurements were repeated after 2 and 4 weeks. A repeated measures, two-level (occasion, subject), variance components model revealed a within-subject variance of 0.187 mm(2) resulting in a repeatability coefficient of 1.20 mm. When modeling level 1 (occasion) variance as a function of tooth type, respective error terms were used for calculating 95% repeatability coefficients for different teeth. Unreliable measurements were largely confined to upper and lower second and third molars. Error terms were lowest (0.03-0.05) at upper canines and first premolars as well as lower anterior teeth and premolars, where repeatability coefficients of 0.5 to 0.6 mm could be estimated. It was concluded that performance of the device was best at certain tooth types with rather thin gingiva. The present resolution and rather high degree of disagreement may preclude, however, detection of minute increases in thickness in the micrometer range, which seem to occur during gingivitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait. hp.muller@hsc.edu.kw
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Kefah M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Barrieshi-Nusair
authors.forename: Eija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Könönen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000473:pathology; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data