An intracrevicular washing method for collection of crevicular contents

Gingival crevicular contents provide a potential source of markers of the destruction of periodontal structures and the disease activity. This communication introduces a new device designed for efficient collection of samples from the critical area of initial tissue break-up at the bottom of a sulcus or a periodontal pocket. The instrument is characterized by two injection needles fitted one within the other so that during sampling the thinner "ejection needle" is at the bottom of the pocket and the "collection needle" at the gingival margin. The washing solution is manually ejected into the crevice and immediately drained through the collection needle into a sample tube by continuous suction. The technique developed provides an easy and useful method for studies of qualitative differences in the crevicular cells and in the chemical components of the crevicular fluid in various clinical situations. Furthermore, the use of the technique can be extended for localized lavage of acute periodontal pockets with appropriate therapeutic solutions.