In vitro and in vivo study of Williams-type periodontal probes available in the Brazilian market

Abstract Introduction The periodontal probe is the best tool for the clinical diagnosis of periodontal disease; however the probe design can influence the results. Objective To evaluate the structural characteristics of Williams-type periodontal probes available in the Brazilian market and evaluate their clinical use during periodontal probing. Material and method The probe groups were divided into: 1) Hu-Friedy® (n=15); 2) Trinity® (n=15); 3) Fava® (n=15); 4) Millennium® (n=15). In vitro analyzes were performed: weight (g), diameter of the active tip (mm), cable diameter (mm) and millimeter of the probes (mm). For the in vivo study, 10 participants were selected who had at least four teeth with periodontitis. The probe marks were coded in A, B, C and D for the examiner's blinding. Result There was a diameter of the active tip suggestive of a conical three-dimensional shape for the Trinity®, Hu-Friedy® and Millennium®, with increasing taper, while the Fava® tip demonstrated a suggestive diameter of a cylindrical / parallel three-dimensional shape. The Fava® probe showed the largest diameters in the initial and middle thirds, while the Hu-Friedy® revealed the smallest diameter in the initial third. All the probes presented similar milimeter. In the clinical study, it was found that the Fava® probe resulted in a lower average of probing depth than the others. Conclusion Periodontal probes have structural differences that must be considered during the selection of the instrument, and the conical probes present more reliable results to clinical practice, since the design of the probe directly interferes with the clinical diagnosis of periodontal disease.

引言
牙周探针（periodontal probe）是临床诊断牙周病的最优工具，但探针的设计会对检测结果产生显著影响。
研究目的：评估巴西市场在售的威廉姆斯型牙周探针（Williams-type periodontal probes）的结构特征，并探讨其在牙周探诊中的临床应用效果。
材料与方法：将受试探针分为4组：1) Hu-Friedy®（n=15）；2) Trinity®（n=15）；3) Fava®（n=15）；4) Millennium®（n=15）。开展体外分析实验，检测指标包括重量（g）、工作尖端直径（mm）、探针杆直径（mm）与探针刻度毫米数（mm）。体内实验选取10名至少存在4颗患牙周炎（periodontitis）牙齿的受试者，为使检查者采用盲法（blinding），将探针标记为A、B、C、D四组。
结果：Trinity®、Hu-Friedy®及Millennium®的工作尖端直径符合锥形三维形态，且锥度依次递增；而Fava®的尖端则呈现圆柱形/平行三维形态的直径特征。Fava®探针在初始段与中段的直径均为最大，而Hu-Friedy®探针的初始段直径最小。所有探针的刻度标记均相近。临床研究结果显示，Fava®探针测得的平均探诊深度（probing depth）低于其余三类探针。
结论：牙周探针存在结构差异，在选择器械时需加以考量；锥形探针在临床实践中可获得更可靠的检测结果，因为探针设计直接影响牙周病的临床诊断准确性。