The strip method and the microelectrode technique in assessing dental plaque pH

Area of Science:

• Dental Research
• Biomedical Measurement
• Oral Health Diagnostics

Background:

• Dental plaque pH evaluation is crucial for caries risk assessment.
• The pH strip method offers a potential clinical tool for plaque pH measurement.
• Comparing its reliability against established methods is essential for clinical adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the reliability of the pH-indicator strip method with the microelectrode technique for measuring dental plaque pH.
• To assess the validity of pH strips in a clinical setting.

Main Methods:

• An in-vivo study involving 136 children (7-9 years) analyzed plaque pH at 272 interproximal sites.
• Measurements were taken using pH-indicator strips (pH 4.0-7.0) and an iridium microelectrode.
• Plaque pH was assessed before and at intervals up to 30 minutes after a 10% sucrose mouth rinse.

Main Results:

• The pH strip method yielded comparable pH values to the microelectrode technique, with no statistically significant differences (P > 0.98).
• High intraclass correlation coefficients (Pearson's r=0.96, Yule's Q=0.99) indicated strong agreement between methods.
• Agreement was particularly high when correlating pH measurements with the presence or absence of carious lesions.

Conclusions:

• The pH strip method demonstrates high validity for dental plaque pH measurement.
• pH indicator strips are a reliable alternative to the microelectrode technique for clinical use.
• This method can potentially replace traditional microelectrode techniques in clinical dental settings.