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How Intraday Index Changes Influence Periodontal Assessment: A Preliminary Study
Carlo Bertoldi1, Andrea Forabosco1, Michele Lalla2
1Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
International Journal of Dentistry
|August 23, 2017
Summary
Periodontal indices like plaque and bleeding scores fluctuate significantly within a single day, especially in severe cases. Accurate periodontal assessment requires multiple daily measurements, not just one.
Area of Science:
- Periodontology
- Dental Diagnostics
Background:
- Periodontal indices are traditionally considered stable over 24 hours.
- Daily variations in these indices have significant clinical implications but are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the diurnal variations of key periodontal indices.
- To determine if these changes correlate with baseline periodontal severity.
Main Methods:
- A preliminary study involving 56 patients receiving cause-related therapy.
- Measurement of Full-Mouth Plaque Score (FMPS), Full-Mouth Bleeding Score (FMBS), Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR), and Periodontal Risk Assessment (PRA) thrice daily (08:30, 11:30, 14:30) over 24 hours.
- Statistical analysis using Stata to correlate index changes with baseline severity.
Main Results:
- All measured periodontal indices showed improvement post-therapy.
- Significant diurnal variations were observed in FMPS, FMBS, and PRA.
- Patients with more severe baseline periodontal conditions exhibited greater daily fluctuations in indices.
- PSR scores did not show significant daily changes.
Conclusions:
- Periodontal indices demonstrate significant daily variation, challenging the assumption of 24-hour stability.
- The magnitude of daily index fluctuation is linked to the baseline severity of periodontal disease.
- Accurate periodontal assessment, particularly for severe cases, necessitates multiple daily measurements at standardized times to account for diurnal variations.
