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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Adjunctive Diode Laser Therapy and Probiotic Lactobacillus Therapy in the Treatment of Periodontitis and Peri-Implant Disease
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Probing depth is not a reliable predictor for changes in periodontitis.

Paul I Eke1

  • 1Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MS-45, Atlanta, GA, USA. Tel.: +1 770 488 6092.

The Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice
|September 10, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Changes in probing depth (PD) are not reliable predictors of clinical attachment loss (CAL) changes in clinical trials. This limited-quality evidence suggests caution when using PD alone for treatment assessments.

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Area of Science:

  • Periodontology
  • Clinical Trials
  • Biostatistics

Background:

  • Probing depth (PD) is a common periodontal measurement.
  • Clinical attachment loss (CAL) is a key indicator of periodontal disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the predictive accuracy of changes in PD for subsequent changes in CAL.
  • To assess the utility of PD as a surrogate endpoint in periodontal clinical trials.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of existing data from multiple periodontal clinical trials.
  • Statistical modeling to assess the correlation between PD changes and CAL changes.

Main Results:

  • The study found limited evidence that changes in PD reliably predict changes in CAL.

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  • The predictive value of PD for CAL changes was found to be insufficient for robust clinical trial endpoint determination.

    • Conclusions:

    • Changes in probing depth alone are not a sufficiently reliable predictor of clinical attachment loss.
    • Further research may be needed to identify more accurate surrogate markers for periodontal disease progression in clinical trials.