The Difference in the Morphometric Assessment of Gingival Biotype by Using Periodontal Probe Transparency Method and Photogrammetry

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