[A trial of determination of the range of physiological teeth mobility with the Periotest device]

The purpose of the study was determination of the range of the physiological mobility of teeth measured with the Periotest Siemens. The apparatus makes possible a dynamic measurement of the reaction of the suspending system of the teeth to blows of known strength. The measurements with Periotest characterize not only the clinical mobility of a tooth but also the elasticity of the periodontium. The measurements were done in 47 objects, 35 women and 12 men. In a group of 10 women the measurements were repeated many times, for checking the objectivity of the method. The results demonstrated that various groups of teeth differed with respect to mobility; the lowest values were obtained for lower canines and premolars, the highest ones for medial incisors in the mandible. The values determined with Periotest were usually smaller for the mandibular teeth than for the maxillary teeth, and smaller in men than in women. Determination of the physiological range of teeth mobility forms a reference point for the evaluation of periodontal changes.