N. Claffey et J. Egelberg, CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PERIODONTAL SITES WITH PROBING ATTACHMENTLOSS FOLLOWING INITIAL PERIODONTAL TREATMENT, Journal of clinical periodontology, 21(10), 1994, pp. 670-679
Periodontal sites which had undergone probing attachment loss were ide
ntified in 16 advanced periodontitis patients subjected to initial per
iodontal treatment and monitored every 3rd month for 42 months. Many s
ites with probing attachment loss showed no increase in probing depth
and bled on probing at a few of the examinations during maintenance. O
thers showed increase in depth, frequent bleeding and suppuration. An
arbitrary classification of 'questionable periodontitis' sites was use
d and included sites with the following characteristics: probing depth
at 42 months less than or equal to 3.5 mm + bleeding on probing at no
more than 5 of the 14 examinations 3-42 months + no suppuration on pr
obing 3-42 months. The % sites in this category ranged from 21-35%, de
pending upon method used to determine probing attachment loss. Widely
varying characteristics of sites identified with probing attachment lo
ss were evident for all surface locations and all subgroups of initial
probing depth. From a traditional view-point, a significant proportio
n of the losing sites might not have been afflicted with periodontitis
. On the other hand, deterioration does not necessarily have to be cou
pled with obvious inflammation, particularly following therapy.