Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, Vol 8, 336-356, Copyright © 1997 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Periodontal probing
A. F. Hefti
Periodontal Disease Research Center, University of Florida College of Dentistry, JHMHC, Gainesville 32610-0442, USA.
For decades, probing clinical pocket depth and attachment level have been
recognized as the dentist's most important tools in diagnosing periodontal
health and disease. They are physical methods to measure the distance from
the bottom of a pocket to a reference line, usually the gingival margin or
the cemento-enamel junction. Probing accuracy and precision are affected by
factors like the design of the probe, probing force, probe position, pocket
depth, or tissue inflammation. Recently, several new electronic periodontal
probes have been developed. They feature high instrument precision,
allowing for measurements to the nearest tenth of a millimeter. They
control for probing force and permit data to be collected and stored
electronically. The purpose of this review paper is to summarize various
aspects of periodontal probing. First, the history of periodontal probes
will be briefly recollected, and interesting and significant inventions of
the past and the present emphasized. Then, the importance of the
periodontal tissues relative to probe tip penetration will be reviewed, and
the probing performance will be discussed. The paper will conclude with
notes on selected statistical issues.
