Abstract:
Objective: To evaluate the photogrammetric assessment of gingival biotype against the clinical gold standard method of
probe transparency in terms of their consistency in assessment
Study Design and Setting: Cross-sectional comparative; Periodontology Department, Institute of Dentistry, CMH Medical
and Dental College, Lahore
Methodology: The study targeted 149 adult subjects aged 18-30 years reporting to dental out patient department for routine
dental treatment. A periodontal probe was inserted into the marginal gingiva of maxillary right central incisor and probe
visibility through the gingival soft-tissues was judged. A probe visible through the tissues yielded thin gingiva and vice
versa. For morphometric analysis, standardized clinical photographs were captured using digital DSLR camera. A photoshop
software was used to measure crown width, crown height and papillary height for maxillary central incisor on all photographs.
A crown width-to-height ratio >0.75 and a papillary height <4.5 mm indicated thick gingiva and vice versa. Data was
analyzed via Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24. Descriptive statistics were calculated. An inter-method
reliability analysis using Cohen’s Kappa was performed to determine the consistency among the two methods in diagnosing
gingival biotype. p=0.05 was taken as significant.
Results: About 54.4% subjects were identified having a thin gingival biotype. A significant difference was observed between
males and females as well as between age groups for gingival biotypes (p<0.001). Using Cohen’s Kappa, a “perfect
agreement” between probe transparency and photogrammetric methods was observed (ê = 1, p<0.001)
Conclusion: Photogrammetry offers a reliable and noninvasive method for evaluation of gingival thickness
