A longitudinal evaluation of periodontal therapy using the CPITN index

A retrospective 3-year longitudinal evaluation of periodontal therapy using the CPITN index was performed. Each sextant in 123 patients exhibiting moderate to advanced adult periodontitis was given a score that recorded the condition of the worst affected site in that sextant. Whereas very few sextants had an initial CPITN Code 0, the prevalence of sextants with an initial CPITN Code 4 was quite high. Posterior sextants with CPITN Code 4 were more likely treated with surgery than sextants with CPITN Code 3. Although surgery appeared to be more effective than non-surgical therapy in reducing the CPITN Codes for posterior sextants at 1 year, there were no differences between the 2 forms of therapy at the 3-year examination. Anterior sextants were treated with a non-surgical approach regardless of CPITN Code at either initial examination or reevaluation. The outcome of therapy in this study using the CPITN index is comparable to other studies utilizing mean pocket depth and attachment level. Although the CPITN index does not prescribe specific therapeutic interventions, this index provides a useful tool to monitor patients in the treatment of periodontitis.