Application of Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Periodontal Tissues 2. Changes in Periodontal Tissues Following Surgical Procedures

Abstract

In the treatment of periodontal disease, it is important to accurately assess the degree of destruction of periodontal tissue. At the facial/ oral and lingual regions, it is difficult to measure the level of the alveolar bone crest from dental roentgenograms.
In a previous study using 20 MHzB-mode ultrasonic equipment, I found that a multiple reflected ultrasonic echo could become visible, when the periodontal probe was inserted into periodontal pockets. A new standardized B-mode ultrasonic method which has high reliability in diagnosis in these regions has been established.
In this study, changes in periodontal tissues following periodontal therapy were investigated using this equipment. At the facial sites of incisors, the flap surgery were performed on 14 sites in 10 patients with periodontal disease.
Ultrasonic diagnosis was performed at the first visit, 3 months after the first visit and then every month for 6 months postoperatively.
The results were as follows:
1) The distance between the tip of the pocket probe and the alveolar bone crest increased significantly (p<0.01) from 0.84±0.88mm (at the first visit) to 2.35±1.10 mm (6 months postoperatively).
2) The height of alveolar bone crest significantly decreased during initial preparation (p<0.05), but various types of changes were observed after surgical procedures.
3) When the thickness of the alveolar bone was diminished at the first visit, the height of the alveolar crest decreased more rapidly after the initial preparation (p<0.01).
4) The thickness of the alverolar bone had decreased significantly (p<0.05) 1 month post surgery.