Case Definition in Chronic Periodontitis: the Reliability of Half-Mouth Protocols

Abstract

Aim of the study To compare half-mouth with whole-mouth examinations, based on clinical attachment loss (CAL) and periodontal pocket depth (PPD) assessments. Material and methods This pilot investigation was designed as a cross-sectional, pretreatment study. Twenty-one adult subjects with moderate and severe periodontal disease and no systemic diseases were recruited from a private dental clinic, Bucharest, Romania. All patients had at least 20 teeth. A total of 2040 interproximal sites were examined. Obtained data were expressed as number of sites with a specific measurement, per quadrant and per mouth. Finally, based on the percentage of patients, the results were compared between couples of quadrants and full-mouth recordings. Results No statistical significant differences between two-quadrant and full-mouth assessments were recorded, in terms of PPD and CAL measurements. Conclusions In the present study, random half-mouth protocols were considered reliable to reproduce full-mouth examination, giving good estimations for case prevalence.

Keywords

• periodontal attachment loss
• periodontal pocket
• prevalence study