Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Temple University School of Dentistry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Phone: +1-(215) 707-2941, e-mail:
Private Practice of Periodontics, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
J Contemp Dent Pract. 2021 Jan 1;22(1):13-17.
The World Health Organization (WHO) periodontal probe is recommended for epidemiologic surveys and periodontal screening, but its ability to identify subgingival dental calculus (DC) relative to a #11/12 explorer is not known. This study compared the ability of the WHO probe and a #11/12 explorer to detect subgingival DC.
Three typodont models with randomly distributed artificial DC on mandibular molar and premolar root surfaces were assessed with a WHO periodontal probe and a #11/12 explorer by two periodontists. The diagnostic performance of the two instruments for subgingival DC detection was compared using 2 × 2 contingency table analysis.
A #11/12 explorer provided better reproducibility, a higher level of sensitivity, higher positive predictive values, higher negative predictive values, and greater overall accuracy (diagnostic effectiveness) (76.9% vs. 68.5% for the first periodontist; 87.0% vs. 75.0% for the second periodontist) for detection of subgingival DC than the WHO probe.
The diagnostic performance of a #11/12 explorer was superior to the WHO periodontal probe for identification of subgingival DC.
A #11/12 explorer, rather than the WHO probe, is recommended for identification of subgingival DC.
世界卫生组织（WHO）牙周探针推荐用于流行病学调查和牙周筛查，但它相对于#11/12 探测仪识别龈下牙石（DC）的能力尚不清楚。本研究比较了 WHO 探针和#11/12 探测仪识别龈下 DC 的能力。
使用 WHO 牙周探针和#11/12 探测仪对三个下颌磨牙和前磨牙牙根表面随机分布人工 DC 的牙模进行评估，由两位牙周病学家进行评估。使用 2×2 列联表分析比较两种仪器对龈下 DC 检测的诊断性能。
#11/12 探测仪具有更好的可重复性、更高的敏感性、更高的阳性预测值、更高的阴性预测值和更高的总体准确性（诊断有效性）（第一位牙周病学家为 76.9%比 68.5%；第二位牙周病学家为 87.0%比 75.0%），用于检测龈下 DC。
与 WHO 牙周探针相比，#11/12 探测仪对龈下 DC 的识别具有更好的诊断性能。
建议使用#11/12 探测仪而不是 WHO 探针来识别龈下 DC。
