Discomfort/pain due to pocket probing at teeth and endosseous implants: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: Patients seem to feel more discomfort/pain after peri-implant probing than after periodontal probing. However, there is not one single study to address this clinical observation. Thus, this study was designed to compare discomfort/pain after peri-implant and periodontal probing.

Methods: Each of three dentists recruited and examined 20 patients each contributing one pair of one dental implant and a contralateral natural tooth. Periodontal and peri-implant probing depths (PPD) and probing attachment level (PAL) were assessed. Whether the implant or the tooth was measured first was randomly assigned. Immediately after probing, the patients scored discomfort/pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results: A total of 60 patients (median; lower/upper quartile: age 62.5; 47.5/69.0 years; 35 females, five smokers) were examined. With the exception of PPD at the deepest site (implants: 4.0; 3.0/5.5 mm; teeth: 3.0; 3.0/4.0 mm; P = 0.032), clinical parameters (PPD, PAL, bleeding on probing, suppuration) were well balanced between implants and teeth. Peri-implant probing (VAS: 16.4; 8.7/28.2) caused significantly (P = 0.011) more discomfort/pain than periodontal probing (9.1; 4.6/18.2). Repeated-measures analysis identified peri-implant probing causing more discomfort than periodontal probing related to the examiner (P = 0.046).

Conclusions: On average, peri-implant probing caused significantly more discomfort/pain than periodontal probing.

Keywords: dental implants; discomfort/pain; peri-implant probing; periodontal probing; visual analogue scale.