Anastasiou S. DVM, ΜSc, Companion Animal Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki | Lorida O. DVM, PhD Student, Companion Animal Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece | Papadimitriou S. DVM, DDS, Associate Professor, Companion Animal Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Introduction
The clinical evaluation of periodontitis is often inconsistent with intraoral radiographic examination. This retrospective study aims to compare clinical measurements of periodontal destruction with intraoral radiograph measurements and to draw conclusions for a more accurate diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease.
Materials and Methods
Seventy-eight dogs’ records were retrieved from the Clinic’s archives, with complete history, clinical measurements of the periodontal tissues of all teeth and intraoral radiographs of the entire dentition. Ten groups of teeth were created, and the total attachment loss measured with a periodontal probe, and the bone loss measured with a digital radiography system were noted and the values of the two measurements were statistically evaluated.
Results
A statistically significant difference was found in favor of the radiographic measurement compared to the clinical measurement in most tooth groups examined.
Conclusions
A complete evaluation of the extent of periodontal damage and therefore of the accurate diagnosis and the selection of an appropriate treatment plan cannot be obtained only by the clinical measurement of attachment loss, nor only by intraoral radiography, but from the combination of both measurements.
