Article

Evaluation of peri-implant sulcular temperature

Authors:
  • Temple University School of Dentistry
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract

Sulcular temperatures were measured on 35 clinically stable and restored osseointegrated dental implants and compared to 50 remaining natural teeth in 9 partially-edentulous adults using the PerioTemp temperature probe (ABIO-DENT, Inc., Danvers, MA USA). Replicate peri-implant sulcular measurements showed a mean difference of 0.1 +/- 0.15 (SD) degrees C. Implant temperatures varied from 0.41 to 3.9 degrees C below sublingual temperatures measured on each patient, and maxillary implants were significantly cooler than mandibular implants (p < 0.001, t-test). A posterior-to-anterior temperature gradient was found in both the maxilla and mandible, with anterior implants significantly cooler than posterior fixtures. No significant differences were found in sulcular temperatures of osseointegrated dental implants and natural teeth located in anatomically-equivalent oral sites. Similarly to natural teeth, sulcular temperature may serve as a valuable diagnostic tool in evaluating dental implant status.

No full-text available

Request Full-text Paper PDF

To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.

... Subgingival specimens were collected with paper points from periodontitis patients who each contributed samples from three hot and three cool premolar/molar pockets with a probing depth of 6-10 mm and bleeding on probing. Each periodontal sample originated from separate teeth and interproximal surfaces and was transported in VMGA III (Dahlén et al., 1993) (Rams et al., 1993b), and TSBV agar for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Slots, 1982). Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Campylobacter species, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Parvimonas micra, Prevotella intermedia/nigrescens, and A. actinomycetemcomitans were routinely identified using established methods Rams et al., 1996Rams et al., , 2016Rams et al., , 2018b, and the percentage of each study species was calculated. ...
... The present findings are consistent with and expand upon prior reports associating hot periodontal sites with elevated levels of P. gingivalis, P. intermedia/nigrescens, P. micra, and A. actinomycetemcomitans and cool periodontal sites with health-related Capnocytophaga species and viridans streptococci (Haffajee et al., 1992c;. Dental implant sites show a similar microbial trend, with Streptococcus species predominating at cool peri-implant sites (Rams et al., 1993b). However, the microbial correlation with subgingival temperature seems less clear in periodontal maintenance patients (Wolff et al., 1997). ...
Article
Full-text available
Objectives Periodontal inflammation may be assessed by bleeding on probing and subgingival temperature. This pilot study evaluated the intrapatient relationship between subgingival temperature and selected bacterial groups/species in deep periodontal pockets with bleeding on probing. Materials and Methods In each of eight adults, an electronic temperature probe identified three “hot” pockets with elevated subgingival temperature and three “cool” pockets with normal subgingival temperature among premolars/molars with 6‒10 mm probing depths and bleeding on probing. Microbial samples collected separately from the hot and cool periodontal pockets were cultured for selected periodontal pathogens. Results Hot compared to cool periodontal pockets revealed significantly higher absolute and normalized subgingival temperatures and yielded higher mean proportions of Porphyromonas gingivalis (10.2% for hot vs. 2.5% for cool, p = 0.030) and total red/orange complex periodontal pathogens (48.0% for hot vs. 24.6% for cool, p = 0.012). Conclusions Hot versus cool deep periodontal pockets harbored significantly higher levels of major periodontal pathogens. Subgingival temperature measurements may potentially be useful to assess risk of periodontitis progression and the efficacy of periodontal therapy.
... At 1 year post-treatment, subgingival temperature at microbiologically sampled periodontal sites, as well as reference sublingual body core temperature from under the most posterior and medial part of the tongue, were measured in each patient to the nearest 0.01 • C using a PerioTemp Probe System (ABIODENT, Inc., Danvers, MA, USA) [61]. To account for variation in body core temperature between patients, sublingual temperature was subtracted from subgingival temperatures in each patient, providing a temperature differential between subgingival and body core temperature for each evaluated periodontal site. ...
... For clinical periodontal attachment level, 100% agreement within 2 mm was attained with replicate assessments on 336 periodontal sites in 4 adults with periodontitis. Replicate measurements of 91 sulcular and 9 sublingual temperatures yielded mean temperature differences of only 0.10 ± 0.15 (SD) • C and 0.04 ± 0.04 (SD) • C, respectively [61]. ...
Article
Full-text available
This study evaluated a combined systemic and topical anti-infective periodontal treatment of 35 adults who had experienced ongoing periodontal breakdown following conventional surgical periodontics. The prescribed anti-infective therapy, based on microbiological testing, consisted of a single course of metronidazole plus ciprofloxacin (23 patients), metronidazole plus amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (10 patients), and metronidazole plus ciprofloxacin followed by metronidazole plus amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (2 patients). In addition, the study patients received 0.1% povidone-iodine subgingival disinfection during non-surgical root debridement and daily patient administered oral irrigation with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite. At 1 and 5 years post-treatment, all study patients showed gains in clinical periodontal attachment with no further attachment loss, and significant decreases in pocket probing depth, bleeding on probing, and subgingival temperature. The greatest disease resolution occurred in patients who at baseline harbored predominantly major periodontal pathogens which post-antibiotics became non-detectable and substituted by non-periodontopathic viridans streptococci. The personalized and minimally invasive anti-infective treatment regimen described here controlled periodontitis disease activity and markedly improved the clinical and microbiological status of the refractory periodontitis patients.
... A study by Rams et al (1993) measured clinical oral temperatures related to fimctional osseointegrated dental implants in vivo. They found no significant differences between sulcus temperatures adjacent to natural teeth and implants in anatomically similar positions. ...
Thesis
Dental implants give problems if there is deficient or poor quality host bone, particularly in the maxillary sinus region, and operations to augment the bone volume into which an implant is to be placed may be undertaken as a preliminary step in which particulate irradiated mineralised cancellous allograft can be employed. It was hypothesised, and demonstrated, that practical information might be obtained through analysis of trephine bone cores removed in creating the implant bed. Therefore, such cores were embedded and examined, mainly using quantitative backscattered electron imaging to study the quantity and the quality of bone. New bone formed as woven or lamellar bone on the allograft, which retained many of its original topographical and morphological characteristics. The bone volume fraction was found to be significantly greater within 5 mm of the original sinus floor. Biopsy core specimens from native sites in both maxilla and mandible were treated similarly. The highest mineralisation densities were found in the mandible, and the lowest in the posterior maxilla beneath the sinus floor. The results led to a proposal for a future bone quality scale to include mineralisation density, volume fraction and connectivity. Another aspect of success concerns vascularity of the implant/graft bed. To this end, the possible clinical use of Laser Doppler Flowmetry to confirm positive blood flow in grafts, sinus membrane, and oral tissues was assessed and proven. Heat conduction via dental implants may impair bone healing and survival: here, a theoretical study was undertaken, and this predicted food/drink heat to be an element in implant pathology. In addition, the possible influence of temperature on osteoclastic function in vitro was examined using a volumetric resorption pit assay: measured volumes and depths of resorption lacunae were increased at 41° and 43° C compared with the standard 37C temperature used in previous studies.
... Otro método útil es la hidrólisis de BANA (29) (benzoil-argininanaftilamida), mediante la cual se puede detectar la presencia de la enzima tripsina producida por patógenos como el Treponema dentícola, Tannerella forsythensis y Porphyromonas gingivalis. También se ha admitido como pruebas válidas para la detección precoz de la patología inflamatoria periimplantaria el registro de la temperatura gingival y el registro del volumen del fluido periimplantario (30). ...
Article
Full-text available
La implantologia oral es una rama de la estomatologia que ha evolucionado de una manera muy rapida en los ultimos 40 anos, desde que Branemark en los anos 60 sentara las bases de esta especialidad. No obstante, existen una serie de complicaciones que se pueden desarrollar alrededor del implante, entre las cuales figuran la mucositis periimplantaria y la periimplantitis, patologias que afectan del 2 al 10% de los implantes colocados. Este articulo presenta una revision de la documentacion cientifica disponible sobre estas patologias, considerando definicion, diagnostico, tratamiento y prevencion. Un diagnostico certero es de vital importancia; por este motivo se mencionan diferentes parametros y tecnicas: clinica, radiologica y microbiologica. El tratamiento de las patologias periimplantarias emplea tres frentes de accion: terapia antiinfecciosa, tratamiento de la superficie del implante y tratamiento mediante regeneracion osea guiada, pudiendo ser utilizados en forma combinada o de manera simultanea. Para el cuidado y mantenimiento de los implantes se concluye respecto de la importancia de mantener un buen control de placa y demas factores de riesgo, que incluyen al tabaco y sobrecarga oclusal, principalmente.
Article
This volume of Periodontology 2000 represents the 25th anniversary of the Journal, and uses the occasion to assess important advancements in periodontology over the past quarter-century as well as the hurdles that remain. Periodontitis is defined by pathologic loss of the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. The disease involves complex dynamic interactions among active herpesviruses, specific bacterial pathogens and destructive immune responses. Periodontal diagnostics is currently based on clinical rather than etiologic criteria, and provides limited therapeutic guidance. Periodontal causative treatment consists of scaling, antiseptic rinses and occasionally systemic antibiotics, and surgical intervention has been de-emphasized, except perhaps for the most advanced types of periodontitis. Plastic surgical therapy includes soft-tissue grafting to cover exposed root surfaces and bone grafting to provide support for implants. Dental implants are used to replace severely diseased or missing teeth, but implant overuse is of concern. The utility of laser treatment for periodontitis remains unresolved. Host modulation and risk-factor modification therapies may benefit select patient groups. Patient self-care is a critical part of periodontal health care, and twice-weekly oral rinsing with 0.10-0.25% sodium hypochlorite constitutes a valuable adjunct to conventional anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis treatments. A link between periodontal herpesviruses and systemic diseases is a strong biological plausibility. In summary, research during the past 25 years has significantly changed our concepts of periodontitis pathobiology and has produced more-effective and less-costly therapeutic options.
Article
The aim of this study was to evaluate periimplant tissue temperature in a successful implant. It has been shown that periimplant disease and mucositis are inflammatory diseases. As such, one of the main clinical signs is the change in temperature. We try to establish normal values of temperature with an easy to use appliance. Fifty-one individuals were enrolled in this study. Only 1 implant per patient was included. The implants were clinically and radiographically examined and diagnosed as clinical successful implants. An infrared ear thermometer was used to measure periimplant temperature (PIT) and the difference with the sublingual temperature (ΔT). These data were analyzed using the Student t test, analysis of variance, and cluster analysis. Statistically significant differences in PIT were observed between the second sextant and the fourth and fifth sextants. These differences were not significant on considering ΔT. In addition, for the clinically and radiographically successful implants, ΔT for all sextants showed a mean of 0.81 (CI, 0.57-1.04). We have found a difference in outcome between periimplant temperature and the temperature differential. PIT depends on the anatomical location, though ΔT is an independent measurement with a value of 0.81°C.
Article
Abstract Elevated temperature, normally a characteristic of inflammation, is a potential indicator of periodontal disease. Conversely, local periodontal site temperatures within normal variation could suggest relative periodontal health. To evaluate this potential, a temperature probe was designed with rapid response (< 1 s), high accuracy and reproducibility (± 0.1°C), good transducer thermal isolation and physical dimensions approximating those of a conventional periodontal probe. To compensate for subject-to-subject variations in core temperature, site temperatures were measured and expressed as differences relative to the sublingual temperature. A cross sectional study was conducted using this instrument in which pocket temperatures of 14 subjects with advanced adult periodontitis were measured and compared with the sulcus temperatures of 11 healthy subjects. Overall, the mean site temperature of the diseased subjects was 0.65°C higher than that of the healthy subjects. A natural posterior-to-anterior temperature gradient was observed with the posterior sites being hotter than the anterior sites. Tooth-by-tooth analysis showed that diseased teeth have higher temperatures than anatomically equivalent healthy teeth (p<0.01). Threshold temperatures for differentiating diseased and healthy teeth were determined to optimize sensitivity and specificity. The results suggest that site temperature is a diagnostic of inflammatory activity associated with periodontal disease. The specifically designed instrument detected significant disease-related departures from normality.
Article
With the ambient temperature well regulated (22.8 + 0.2°C, mean ± 95 % confidence limits) the gingival sulcus temperatures of 21 human subjects were measured, and gingival plaque indices recorded. All subjects had clinically healthy gingiva. The sulcus temperatures of the mandibular teeth were found to be higher than those of the maxillary teeth by 0.7 ± 0.2°C. In both arches, the sulcus temperatures of the molars exceeded those of the incisors by 1.5 ± 0.3°C, this difference being statistically significant. The mean gingival sulcus temperature averaged over the entire dentition was found to be 33.9 ± 0.4°C. Attempts to show a correlation between gingival inflammation and sulcus temperature, although unsuccessful, suggested that such a correlation might be demonstrated through the use of more sophisticated instrumentation. The profile of normal gingival sulcus temperatures established herein shows a marked agreement with published data concerning the distribution of the blood supply to the periodontal ligaments of individual human teeth. It could serve as a reference for studies of heat transfer in dental and periodontal tissues as well as providiong a clinical norm for use in the assessment of periodontal inflammation.
Article
The interproximal sulcular temperatures of the central, cuspid and the first molar regions of both jaws of 28 adults were recorded with a thermistor probe. The mean sulcular temperatures were 1.80 to 2.90 degrees C lower than the mean sublingual temperature. In both jaws the lowest temperature was recorded in the anterior region and the highest in the molar region. The temperature increased from the anterior to the posterior region on both buccal and lingual sides of both arches. The sulcular temperatures of the lower arches were higher than those of the upper arches. Further, analyses of the data of each individual subject showed interesting differences between the male and the female subjects. This work suggests that studies on dental plaque and on the growth and metabolism of microorganisms of the gingival sulci should consider the lower temperature of the gingival sulci and the regional temperature differences within the oral cavity.
Article
The present investigation examined the relationship of selected bacterial species and subgingival temperature. 35 subjects were measured at 6 sites per tooth for clinical parameters and subgingival temperature. Measurements were repeated for 21 subjects at 2 month intervals providing a total of 66 subjects visits. At each visit, subgingival plaque samples were taken from the mesial aspect of each tooth and anaerobically dispersed, diluted and plated on non-selective media. After anaerobic incubation, colonies were lifted to nylon filters and specific species detected using digoxigenin-labeled whole chromosomal DNA probes. Species enumerated were; A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes a and b, B. forsythus, B. gingivalis, B. intermedius I and II, C. ochracea, F. nucleatum ss. vincentii, P. micros, S. intermedius, S. sanguis I and II, V. parvula and W. recta. Total viable counts and counts of Capnocytophaga sp. were determined directly from the primary isolation plates. A total of 1581 samples were evaluated. Subject visits with higher mean subgingival temperatures had significantly higher mean %s of B. intermedius I and P. micros, and lower mean %s of Capnocytophaga sp. Sites with higher subgingival temperatures had elevated proportions of B. intermedius I and II, A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype a and B. gingivalis more frequently than sites with lower temperatures, while Capnocytophaga sp. were elevated more often at cooler sites. 43 of the subject visits had follow up attachment level measurements at 2 months. The 1026 microbial samples and the subgingival temperature measurements from these visits were related to longitudinal attachment change.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Article
In this study we investigated the possibility of using sulcus temperature measurements as an early indicator for the beginning of gingival inflammation. Sulcus temperature distributions over the arches appeared to obey a quadratic polynomial. With a test group of 10 volunteers, all dental students, small changes in temperature were measured after subjects refrained from all oral hygiene: A slight but significant tendency for the frontal temperature to increase after 14 days of no oral hygiene was, however, present. The quality of a quadratic polynomial fit of the temperature distributions over the arches decreased significantly, already after 3 d of non-oral hygiene. This indicates that the coefficient of quadratic correlation for the temperature distributions over the arches is a measure for the oral hygiene of patients and for changes in the physiology of gingival tissues. Furthermore, as its decrease was concurrent with an increase in plaque and gingival indices, it might serve as an early indicator for the beginning of gingival inflammation. However, further development work is needed in order to make this approach useful as a clinical tool.
Article
The purpose of this study was to determine if a thermocouple probe was capable of detecting differences in temperatures between healthy and diseased periodontal sites. Twenty-two patients, 11 with radiographic evidence of periodontitis and 11 without, were probed twice with the temperature probe, and twice with a conventional probe by two examiners. Two definitions of health and disease were used. Definition one was that any site probing 5 mm or a site that bled upon probing was considered diseased. Sites 4 mm and with no bleeding on probing were considered healthy. Mean temperature differences were calculated from a baseline sublingual temperature. Each arch and tooth demonstrated different temperatures with temperatures decreasing from posterior to anterior. Differences from baseline between healthy and diseased sites were consistently higher for diseased sites. For example, maxillary second molars were 0.72 degrees C higher than baseline while the maxillary central incisors were 1.40 degrees C higher than baseline. Mean temperature differences between healthy and diseased sites were significant (P less than 0.005) for all sites. Definition two was developed since all sites 5 mm or greater and all sites which bled may not be diseased, the data were recalculated with disease including all sites greater than or equal to 5 mm with bleeding on probing and health including all sites less than or equal to 3 mm without bleeding. With this definition the mean temperature difference between healthy and diseased sites was even greater. Maxillary second molars were 0.96 degrees C higher, while maxillary central incisors were 1.76 degrees C higher.
Article
The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether subgingival temperature was a risk indicator of periodontal attachment loss (detected in the following 2 months) in a subject or at a site. 29 subjects were measured at 6 sites per tooth for clinical parameters as well as subgingival temperature using a periodontal temperature probe (Periotemp, ABIO-DENT, Danvers, MA). The same instrument was used to measure sublingual temperature in order to compute differences between subgingival and sublingual temperature. Clinical and temperature parameters were measured at 2-month intervals. A total of 49 subject visits which had both baseline temperature and subsequent attachment level change measurements were available for analysis. Attachment level loss greater than 2.5 mm occurred at 1 or more sites at 16 of 49 subject visits. Elevated mean subgingival temperature was related to subsequent attachment loss particularly in individuals who exhibited more than 1 progressing site. The odds ratios of a subject exhibiting new attachment loss at 1 or more sites or at 2 or more sites were 14.5 and 64.0 if the subject's mean subgingival temperature exceeded 35.5 degrees C. Subjects with high mean subgingival temperatures and widespread periodontal destruction appeared to be at greatest risk for new attachment loss. Discriminant analysis using % of sites with suppuration, redness and attachment level greater than 3 mm and mean site temperature correctly "predicted" disease activity with a sensitivity, specificity and overall agreement of 0.75, 0.76 and 0.82 respectively. Of 7243 sites, 43 (0.59%) and 160 (2.2%) showed attachment loss of either 2.5 mm or more or 2 mm or more respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Article
44 subjects ranging in age from 14-71 years were measured at 6 sites per tooth for gingival redness, plaque accumulation, suppuration, bleeding on probing, pocket depth and attachment level. Subgingival temperatures were measured at the same 6 sites per tooth using a periodontal temperature probe (Periotemp, Abiodent, Danvers, MA). This instrument was also used to measure each subject's sublingual temperature in order to compute the differences between sublingual and subgingival temperature. Relationships were sought between the baseline clinical parameters and the temperature variables in subjects and at sites. The mean and standard deviation of the sublingual temperatures for the 44 subjects was 36.6 +/- 0.4 degrees C (range 35.8-37.6 degrees C). The mean of each subject's mean whole mouth subgingival temperature was 1.9 degrees C lower, 34.8 +/- 0.6 degrees C (range 33.4-36.1 degrees C). The differences of the mean subgingival temperature from sublingual ranged from -0.8 to -3.2 degrees C (average -1.9 +/- 0.5 degrees C). Mean temperature difference for a subject correlated with % of sites with plaque (rs = 0.45), redness (rs = 0.33), bleeding on probing (rs = 0.44), % of sites with attachment level greater than 3 mm (rs = 0.44), mean pocket depth (rs = 0.44) and mean attachment level (rs = 0.39). There were higher mean temperatures at sites exhibiting or not exhibiting plaque (35.0, 34.5 degrees C), redness (34.9, 34.6), bleeding on probing (35.1, 34.7) and suppuration (35.4, 34.8). Sites with pockets less than 4, 4-6 and greater than 6 mm had mean temperatures of 34.6, 35.2, 35.8 degrees C, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Article
The microflora associated with osseointegrated implants suspected of failing from infection or trauma were evaluated. Of 75 patients examined, 11 demonstrated failing fixtures. 22 of 48 fixtures failed in 6 fully edentulous patients and 10 of 34 failed in 5 partially edentulous patients. The etiology of failure was attributed to infection if there was bleeding, suppuration, pain, high plaque and gingival indices and granulomatous tissue upon surgical removal. Traumatic etiology was suspected in the absence of these signs. Direct phase-contrast microscopy and culture analysis were performed on samples from the implant sulcus, the implant itself and the extraction socket. The 2 failure types exhibited distinct bacteriologic profiles. For implants failing with infection, spirochetes and motile rods averaged 42% of total morphotypes. Many suspected periodontopathic organisms including Peptostreptococcus micros, Fusobacterium species, enteric gram-negative rods and yeasts, constituted high proportions of the cultivable microflora. In contrast, implants failing from suspected traumatic etiology demonstrated a morphotype profile consistent with periodontal health and cultivable microflora predominated by streptococci. When evaluating the time of failure after initial insertion, it was found that fixture loss resulting from infection occurred most often between initial placement and second-stage surgery, whereas failure in the absence of infection occurred primarily after insertion of the final prosthesis. The terms infectious and traumatic failure have been introduced to describe these 2 clinically and microbiologically distinct phenomena.
Article
The clinical and microbiologic features of 30 hydroxyapatite-coated root-form endosseous dental implants (Tri-Stage) were compared to 10 similar pure titanium implants without hydroxyapatite coatings. In 7 of 9 partially edentulous patients studied, pure titanium fixtures were placed adjacent to hydroxyapatite-coated implants. Implants in the maxilla were submerged beneath mucosal tissues after implant placement for a minimum of 6 months, and in the mandible for at least 4 months. All patients were prescribed short-term beta-lactam antibiotic therapy after fixture placement, and 8 of 9 used chlorhexidine mouthrinses after fixture exposure. Clinical and microbiological examination was carried out 7-10 months after fixed prosthetic loading of the implants. Clinical measurements included the gingival index, plaque index, bleeding on probing and peri-implant probing depths determined with the Florida Probe system. Subgingival microbial samples were collected with paper points and transported in VMGA III. Specimens were examined by direct phase-contrast microscopy and were plated onto nonselective and selective culture media for anaerobic and aerobic incubation. No significant mean clinical or microbiological differences were found between the implant types, although one hydroxyapatite-coated implant exhibited deep probing depths, bleeding on probing and marked radiographic crestal bone loss. Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mitis were the most predominant organisms recovered from clinically stable implants, whereas high proportions of Fusobacterium species and Peptostreptococcus prevotii were isolated from the ailing hydroxyapatite-coated implant. One or more implants in 8 of the study subjects yielded enteric rods, pseudomonads, enterococci or staphylococci. The prognosis of implants with varying early microbiotas needs to be established in longitudinal studies.
Article
Elevated temperature, normally a characteristic of inflammation, is a potential indicator of periodontal disease. Conversely, local periodontal site temperatures within normal variation could suggest relative periodontal health. To evaluate this potential, a temperature probe was designed with rapid response (less than 1 s), high accuracy and reproducibility (+/- 0.1 degree C), good transducer thermal isolation and physical dimensions approximating those of a conventional periodontal probe. To compensate for subject-to-subject variations in core temperature, site temperatures were measured and expressed as differences relative to the sublingual temperature. A cross sectional study was conducted using this instrument in which pocket temperatures of 14 subjects with advanced adult periodontitis were measured and compared with the sulcus temperatures of 11 healthy subjects. Overall, the mean site temperature of the diseased subjects was 0.65 degree C higher than that of the healthy subjects. A natural posterior-to-anterior temperature gradient was observed with the posterior sites being hotter than the anterior sites. Tooth-by-tooth analysis showed that diseased teeth have higher temperatures than anatomically equivalent healthy teeth (p less than 0.01). Threshold temperatures for differentiating diseased and healthy teeth were determined to optimize sensitivity and specificity. The results suggest that site temperature is a diagnostic of inflammatory activity associated with periodontal disease. The specifically designed instrument detected significant disease-related departures from normality.
Article
IN PERIODONTICS there is a need for objective measurements in monitoring disease processes and in assessing the effectiveness of treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare gingival temperatures with indicators of gingival inflammation in order to examine the application of temperature as a diagnostic aid. In six patients the temperature of interproximal sulcular tissue was measured and compared with bleeding upon probing, crevicular fluid flow, pocket depth, plaque accumulation and calculus formation. The results show significantly higher temperatures with bleeding upon probing and with the presence of dental plaque and calculus. Temperature increase correlated with increase in crevicular fluid flow, but a relationship to pocket depth is not clear. The thermocouple microprobe is a very sensitive instrument. The method used is noninvasive, safe and efficient. It can be concluded from our data that differences in gingival temperature reflect not only a regional tissue variability but also can indicate an inflammatory state.
Comparison of pressure‐sensitive and manual probing instruments at varying pocket depths
  • Rams T. E