LAUSR

OBJECTIVE Comparison of grading according to radiographic bone loss (BL) or according to interdental clinical attachment loss (CAL). METHODS In 100 periodontitis patients of the Department of Periodontology of Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany periodontitis grade was assigned by i) indirect evidence using BL at the most affected tooth divided by root length and ii) CAL at the most affected tooth divided by root length of the respective tooth type according to root length in German and Swedish cohorts. Resulting quotients were divided by age. RESULTS Patients (age: 53.5±10.4 years; 57 females; 16 smokers; no diabetes; stage 78 III, 22 IV) were by either method assigned to grade B or C (BL: 35 B, 65 C; CAL [German]: 23 B, 77 C; [Swedish]: 29 B, 71 C). Using root length (German cohort), agreement was 76% (kappa: 0.427; fair to good /moderate agreement) and 72% (Swedish cohort; kappa: 0.359; poor agreement/fair). Molars were most frequently chosen (BL: 64%; CAL: 71%). CONCLUSIONS Assignment of periodontitis grade by indirect evidence using BL or CAL using standard root length of the German cohort showed fair to good/moderate agreement. Thus, grade assignment by CAL may be used in epidemiologic studies where radiographs are not available.