Florida Probe

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Florida Probe is a type of probing and charting software used by dentists and dental hygienists to detect and diagnose periodontal disease. It may also help to track down the progress and results of trial treatments performed on controlled study patients. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The software was developed by Florida Probe Corporation and released for the first time in 1987. It was created as a project for the University of Florida. [3]

System components

The Florida Probe system consists of a computerized USB probe, a footswitch, a displacement transducer with digital readout, as well as the software proper. [1] [4] [5] [6]

Hardware.jpg

Software features

See also

Related Research Articles

Periodontal disease Medical condition

Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is a set of inflammatory conditions affecting the tissues surrounding the teeth. In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums become swollen and red and may bleed. It is considered the main cause of tooth loss for adults worldwide. In its more serious form, called periodontitis, the gums can pull away from the tooth, bone can be lost, and the teeth may loosen or fall out. Bad breath may also occur.

Calculus (dental) Form of hardened dental plaque

In dentistry, calculus or tartar is a form of hardened dental plaque. It is caused by precipitation of minerals from saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in plaque on the teeth. This process of precipitation kills the bacterial cells within dental plaque, but the rough and hardened surface that is formed provides an ideal surface for further plaque formation. This leads to calculus buildup, which compromises the health of the gingiva (gums). Calculus can form both along the gumline, where it is referred to as supragingival, and within the narrow sulcus that exists between the teeth and the gingiva, where it is referred to as subgingival.

Periodontology or periodontics is the specialty of dentistry that studies supporting structures of teeth, as well as diseases and conditions that affect them. The supporting tissues are known as the periodontium, which includes the gingiva (gums), alveolar bone, cementum, and the periodontal ligament. A periodontist is a dentist that specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease and in the placement of dental implants.

Dental plaque is a biofilm of microorganisms that grows on surfaces within the mouth. It is a sticky colorless deposit at first, but when it forms tartar, it is often brown or pale yellow. It is commonly found between the teeth, on the front of teeth, behind teeth, on chewing surfaces, along the gumline (supragingival), or below the gumline cervical margins (subgingival). Dental plaque is also known as microbial plaque, oral biofilm, dental biofilm, dental plaque biofilm or bacterial plaque biofilm. Bacterial plaque is one of the major causes for dental decay and gum disease.

Gingival sulcus Space between tooth and gums

The gingival sulcus is an area of potential space between a tooth and the surrounding gingival tissue and is lined by sulcular epithelium. The depth of the sulcus is bounded by two entities: apically by the gingival fibers of the connective tissue attachment and coronally by the free gingival margin. A healthy sulcular depth is three millimeters or less, which is readily self-cleansable with a properly used toothbrush or the supplemental use of other oral hygiene aids.

Gingival and periodontal pocket

Gingival and periodontal pockets are dental terms indicating the presence of an abnormal depth of the gingival sulcus near the point at which the gingival tissue contacts the tooth.

Bleeding on probing (BoP) which is also known as bleeding gums or gingival bleeding is a term used by dentists and dental hygienists when referring to bleeding that is induced by gentle manipulation of the tissue at the depth of the gingival sulcus, or interface between the gingiva and a tooth. BoP is a sign of periodontal inflammation and indicates some sort of destruction and erosion to the lining of the sulcus or the ulceration of sulcular epithelium. The blood comes from lamina propria after the ulceration of the lining. BoP seems to be correlated with Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area (PISA).

Scaling and root planing Dental procedure

Scaling and root planing, also known as conventional periodontal therapy, non-surgical periodontal therapy or deep cleaning, is a procedure involving removal of dental plaque and calculus and then smoothing, or planing, of the (exposed) surfaces of the roots, removing cementum or dentine that is impregnated with calculus, toxins, or microorganisms, the etiologic agents that cause inflammation. It is a part of non-surgical periodontal therapy. This helps to establish a periodontium that is in remission of periodontal disease. Periodontal scalers and periodontal curettes are some of the tools involved.

Gingivectomy is a dental procedure in which a dentist or oral surgeon cuts away part of the gums in the mouth.

Gingivitis Inflammation of the gums

Gingivitis is a non-destructive disease that causes inflammation of the gums. The most common form of gingivitis, and the most common form of periodontal disease overall, is in response to bacterial biofilms that is attached to tooth surfaces, termed plaque-induced gingivitis. Most forms of gingivitis are plaque-induced.

Hessam Nowzari is the Director of the University of Southern California Advanced Periodontics program, since 1995, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology.

Debridement (dental)

In dentistry, debridement refers to the removal by dental cleaning of accumulations of plaque and calculus (tartar) in order to maintain dental health. Debridement may be performed using ultrasonic instruments, which fracture the calculus, thereby facilitating its removal, as well as hand tools, including periodontal scaler and curettes, or through the use of chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide.

Computers and software have been used in dental medicine since the 1960s. Since then, computers and information technology have spread progressively in dental practice. According to one study, in 2000, 85.1% of all dentists in the United States were using computers.

Chronic periodontitis is one of the seven categories of periodontitis as defined by the American Academy of Periodontology 1999 classification system. Chronic periodontitis is a common disease of the oral cavity consisting of chronic inflammation of the periodontal tissues that is caused by the accumulation of profuse amounts of dental plaque. Periodontitis initially begins as gingivitis and can progress onto chronic and subsequent aggressive periodontitis according to the 1999 classification.

Aggressive periodontitis describes a type of periodontal disease and includes two of the seven classifications of periodontitis as defined by the 1999 classification system:

  1. Localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP)
  2. Generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAP)
Peri-implantitis

Peri-implantitis is a destructive inflammatory process affecting the soft and hard tissues surrounding dental implants. The soft tissues become inflamed whereas the alveolar bone, which surrounds the implant for the purposes of retention, is lost over time.

In dentistry, numerous types of classification schemes have been developed to describe the teeth and gum tissue in a way that categorizes various defects. All of these classification schemes combine to provide the periodontal diagnosis of the aforementioned tissues in their various states of health and disease.

The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting awareness of periodontal science, the science and clinical practice of periodontics and implant dentistry, and the importance of gum health. Its guiding vision is “Periodontal health for a better life.”

Peri-implant mucositis is defined as an inflammatory lesion of the peri-implant mucosa in the absence of continuing marginal bone loss.

References

  1. 1 2 "University of Florida Article 07/21/1987". University of Florida. Retrieved 2009-08-21.[ dead link ]
  2. Wolf, Herbert F.; Rateitschak, Klaus H. (2005). Periodontology By Herbert F. Wolf. ISBN   9780865779020 . Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  3. "Public Company Information provided by www.Manta.com". www.Manta.com. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  4. Gibbs, Charles H.; John W. Hirschfeld; James G. Lee; Samuel B. Low; Ingvar Magnusson; Robert R. Thousand; Prasad Yemeni; William B. Clark (1988). "Description and clinical evaluation of a new computerized periodontal probe-the Florida Probe". Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 15 (2): 137–144. doi:10.1111/j.1600-051X.1988.tb01008.x. ISSN   0303-6979. PMID   3162246.
  5. 1 2 "Florida Probe Corporation website". Florida Probe Corporation. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  6. "Review from Dental Products Reports.com". DentalProductsReports.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2009-08-21.