Identification of thin and thick gingival phenotypes by two transparency methods: A diagnostic accuracy study

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Dental Diagnostics

Background:

• Limited data exists on the transparency method's accuracy for diagnosing gingival phenotypes, considering both gingival thickness (GT) and keratinized tissue width (KTW).
• Accurate gingival phenotyping is crucial for predicting periodontal outcomes and guiding treatment decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic accuracy of two transparency methods for identifying thin and thick gingival phenotypes.
• To evaluate the utility of a conventional steel probe (SP) and a plastic color-coded probe (CCP) in gingival phenotyping.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 300 maxillary anterior teeth from 50 individuals.
• Measured gingival thickness (GT) via transgingival assessment and categorized sites as thin (≤1 mm) or thick (>1 mm).
• Assessed gingival phenotype using the transparency method with both a steel probe (SP) and a color-coded probe (CCP), also measuring keratinized tissue width (KTW).

Main Results:

• 57% of sites were classified as thin gingival phenotype (GT: 0.82 ± 0.12 mm) and 43% as thick (GT: 1.16 ± 0.12 mm).
• Both SP and CCP demonstrated high sensitivity (>0.94) for identifying thin phenotypes but lower specificity (0.35-0.39) for thick phenotypes.
• The diagnostic accuracy for SP and CCP was comparable, with values of 0.69 and 0.70, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Conventional steel probes and color-coded plastic probes are equally effective for diagnosing thin gingival phenotypes at maxillary anterior sites.
• The transparency method, using either probe, provides a reliable means to differentiate thin from thick gingival phenotypes.