Assessment of Intra- and Inter-examiner Reproducibility of Probing Depth Measurements with a Manual Periodontal Probe

Background and aims. The main purpose of this study was to assess intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility of probing depth measurements with a manual periodontal probe. Materials and methods. In this study, 32 dental students in Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry with normal periodontium were evaluated. Each tooth of the upper right quadrants, except the third molars, was examined. Probing depths were measured in 6 surfaces of each tooth (mesiofacial, midfacial, distofacial, mesiolingual, midlingual and distolingual). Each patient was examined by two examiners (two periodontists) in two sessions with an interval of 7-10 days. A total of 218 teeth and 1295 surfaces were examined. Results. Intra-examiner measurements showed no statistically significant differences, while the differences of inter-examiner measurements were statistically significant. Intra-examiner reproducibility was more than the inter-examiner one. Measurements for anterior region, facial and mid-facial/mid-lingual surfaces were more reproducible than posterior, lingual and proximal surfaces. Conclusion. Probing depth measurements with a conventional probe have an appropriate reproducibility in clinical settings, although variations between examiners may affect the reproducibility, especially when great accuracy is required.