Relationship of gingival thickness and bleeding to loss of probing attachment in shallow sites following nonsurgical periodontal therapy

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Abstract
Periodontal sites of shallow initial probing depth often seem to lose probing attachment following various types of periodontal therapy, including non‐surgical therapy. The susceptibility to this treatment‐associated probing attachment loss may conceivably be related to gingival architecture as well as to the inflammatory status of the tissues. This study was designed to study the relationship of buccolingual gingival thickness and bleeding on probing in shallow buccal sites ( 3.5 mm probing depth) to loss of probing attachment following nonsurgical therapy. 3 months following treatment consisting of oral hygiene instruction and supra‐ and subgingival debridement, thin ( 1.5 mm), initially non‐bleeding sites displayed a mean loss of probing attachment of 0.3 mm. Thick ( 2.0 mm), non‐bleeding sites displayed a less noticable mean loss of probing attachment, whereas bleeding sites of both categories of gingival thickness showed a tendency towards gains in probing attachment levels. It may be concluded that the mean loss in probing attachment levels, commonly seen for shallow sites post‐therapy, may be primarily due to the changes in shallow, thin healthy areas.