Evaluation of surface smoothness detected by a periodontal probe.

An investigation was designed to determine whether or not the required smoothness has been reached. This is still a controversial subject among clinicians. Ten cylindrical metal samples of equal sizes with various degrees of smoothness were prepared, and their degrees of smoothness were assessed in a blind manner by 14 periodontists, who were asked to group them as smooth or rough using a periodontal probe. Along with the metal samples, the roughness of root surfaces smoothed in clinics was also evaluated using a Profilometer. The average value defined as a smooth surface on a max.-min. scale was 1.86 +/- 0.42, and values above 3.57 were considered to be rough. Consequently, decisions taken using the sense of touch about the smoothness of a surface were confirmed to be reliable for clinical use.