Comparison of digitised and visual plaque vitality measurement

Plaque samples from 12 patients suffering from adult periodontitis (8 male, 4 female), aged 32-58 (mean age 44.3) years were stained using the technique of vital fluorescence described by Netuschil and co-workers. The proportions of vital plaque was then assessed by 2 techniques: the visual methods previously described and by an image capture system linked to a computerised image programme. A total of 94 plaque samples were included in the study. Analysis of the data from the 2 sets showed that there was no significant difference between the two methods (p = 0.26).