PERIOTEST Device in Periodontal Assessment

The PERIOTEST device is a valuable tool used in dentistry to assess the mobility of teeth and the reaction of the periodontium to applied forces. This lecture covers the principles of the PERIOTEST device, its measurement scale, and its clinical significance in evaluating periodontal health.

Function: The PERIOTEST device measures the reaction of the periodontium to a defined percussion force applied to the tooth. This is done using a tapping instrument that delivers a controlled force to the tooth.

Contact Time: The contact time between the tapping head and the tooth varies between 0.3 and 2 milliseconds. This duration is typically shorter for stable teeth compared to mobile teeth, allowing for a quick assessment of tooth stability.

PERIOTEST Scale

The PERIOTEST scale ranges from -8 to +50, with specific ranges indicating different levels of tooth mobility:

Clinical Significance

Assessment of Tooth Mobility:
The PERIOTEST device provides a quantitative measure of tooth mobility, which is essential for diagnosing periodontal disease and assessing the stability of teeth.

Correlation with Other Measurements:
The PERIOTEST values correlate well with:

• Tooth Mobility Assessed with a Metric System: This allows for a standardized approach to measuring mobility, enhancing the reliability of assessments.

• Degree of Periodontal Disease and Alveolar Bone Loss: Higher mobility readings often indicate more severe periodontal disease and greater loss of supporting bone, making the PERIOTEST a useful tool in monitoring disease progression.

Treatment Planning:
Understanding the mobility of teeth can aid in treatment planning, including decisions regarding periodontal therapy, splinting of mobile teeth, or extraction in cases of severe mobility.

Plaque Formation

• Initial colonizers: Gram – positive bacteria
• Mature plaque: Shift to obligate anaerobes, proteolytic, rods, motile
• Plaque weight: 2×10¹¹ bacteria per gram

Bacterial Complexes

• Red Complex (Most pathogenic): P. gingivalis, T. denticola, B. forsythia
• Green Complex: A. actinomycetemcomitans, E. corrodens, Capnocytophaga
• BANA Test: Detects trypsin – like enzyme in T. denticola, P. gingivalis, B. forsythia

Specific Bacteria

• A. actinomycetemcomitans: Invades host cells, secretes leukotoxin (116 – kDa protein)
• P. intermedia: Increases with steroid hormones (pregnancy/puberty)
• S. oralis: Found in treated gingival sulcus
• S. sanguis: First organism on oral mucosa

Periodontal Diseases Associated with Neutrophil Disorders

1. Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (ANUG)

   • Description: A severe form of gingivitis characterized by necrosis of the interdental papillae, pain, and foul odor.
   • Association: Neutrophil dysfunction can exacerbate the severity of ANUG, leading to rapid tissue destruction.

2. Localized Juvenile Periodontitis

   • Description: A form of periodontitis that typically affects adolescents and is characterized by localized bone loss around the permanent teeth.
   • Association: Impaired neutrophil function contributes to the pathogenesis of this condition.

3. Prepubertal Periodontitis

   • Description: A rare form of periodontitis that occurs in children before puberty, leading to rapid attachment loss and bone destruction.
   • Association: Neutrophil disorders can play a significant role in the development and progression of this disease.

4. Rapidly Progressive Periodontitis

   • Description: A form of periodontitis characterized by rapid attachment loss and bone destruction, often occurring in young adults.
   • Association: Neutrophil dysfunction may contribute to the aggressive nature of this disease.

5. Refractory Periodontitis

   • Description: A form of periodontitis that does not respond to conventional treatment and continues to progress despite therapy.
   • Association: Neutrophil disorders may be implicated in the persistent nature of this condition.

Aggressive Periodontitis (formerly Juvenile Periodontitis)

• Historical Names: Previously referred to as periodontosis, deep cementopathia, diseases of eruption, Gottleib’s diseases, and periodontitis marginalis progressive.
• Risk Factors:
  • High frequency of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.
  • Immune defects (functional defects of PMNs and monocytes).
  • Autoimmunity and genetic factors.
  • Environmental factors, including smoking.
• Clinical Features:
  • Vertical loss of alveolar bone around the first molars and incisors, typically beginning around puberty.
  • Bone loss patterns often described as "target" or "bull" shaped lesions.

• Alpha Thalassemia: Caused by deletion of alpha genes
• HbH Disease: Deletion of 3 alpha chains

Treatment Phases

1. Phase 1: Non – surgical
2. Phase 2: Surgical
3. Phase 3: Restorative
4. Phase 4: Maintenance Must progress through Phase 1 → 4 before Phase 2 or 3

Merin's Classification

• Class A: 6 months – 1 year recall
• Class B: 3 – 4 months recall
• Class C: 1 – 3 months recall