INDEX-BASED PERIODONTAL ASSESSMENT VERSUS CONVENTIONAL EXAMINATION IN ROUTINE DENTAL PRACTICE: A CLINICAL STUDY IN UZBEKISTAN
Keywords:
periodontal indices, Approximal Plaque Index, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index, Bleeding on Probing, Papillary Bleeding Index, Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs, periodontal health, dental examination.Abstract
This paper reports a clinical study designed to determine whether standardised, index based periodontal assessment improves the detection and diagnostic accuracy of periodontal disease compared with conventional, non-index clinical examination among adult patients undergoing routine dental checkups in Uzbekistan. Forty two patients aged 20 to 40 years were randomly divided into two equal groups. The first group received professional oral hygiene combined with structured periodontal assessment using the Approximal Plaque Index, the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index, Bleeding on Probing, the Papillary Bleeding Index, and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs, together with plaque disclosure, while the second group underwent standard dental cleaning without index based assessment. Patients were examined at baseline and at 14, 28, and 42 days. Preliminary observations indicate that both groups experienced an improvement in oral hygiene over time, but the index based assessment group showed a more pronounced reduction in plaque scores and gingival inflammation, together with a more structured identification of early periodontal changes through the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs. Final statistical analysis is ongoing, and the findings reported here should therefore be regarded as preliminary. The results nonetheless suggest that standardised periodontal indices enhance the objectivity and completeness of clinical examination and may support earlier detection and more consistent monitoring of periodontal disease in routine dental practice.
References
1. World Health Organization. Development of the WHO Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). Int Dent J. 1982;32(3):281–291.
2. Ainamo J., Barmes D., Beagrie G., Cutress T., Martin J., Sardo-Infirri J. Development of the World Health Organization (WHO) Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). Int Dent J. 1982;32:281–291.
3. Benigeri M., Brodeur J.M., Payette M., Charbonneau A., Ismail A.I. Community periodontal index of treatment needs and prevalence of periodontal conditions. J Clin Periodontol. 2000;27(4):308–312.
4. Greene J.C., Vermillion J.R. The simplified oral hygiene index. J Am Dent Assoc. 1964;68:7–13.
5. Lange D.E. Parodontologie in der täglichen Praxis. Berlin: Quintessenz; 1986.
6. Saxer U.P., Mühlemann H.R. Motivation und Aufklärung. Schweiz Monatsschr Zahnheilkd. 1975;85:905–919.
7. Ainamo J., Bay I. Problems and proposals for recording gingivitis and plaque. Int Dent J. 1975;25(4):229–235.
8. Epidemiological indices for assessing oral hygiene: a relevant tool in public health. J Clin Med. 2024 (PubMed 41584413).
9. Bassani D.G., da Silva C.M., Oppermann R.V. Validity of the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) for population periodontitis screening. Cad Saude Publica. 2006;22(2):277–283.
