The use of shear wave elastography to monitor changes in gingival elasticity associated with initial periodontal therapy in patients with advanced periodontitis: A prospective pilot study

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Gingival tissue firmness cannot be objectively assessed or monitored in real-time in existing examinations. This study was designed to examine the potential utility of shear wave elastography (SWE) as a means of evaluating and monitoring gingival inflammation in an effort to assess the effects of initial periodontal therapy in patients with advanced periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This pilot study included analyses of 66 sites in 6 advanced periodontitis patients. Patients underwent the SWE examination of the gingiva at the mid-labial and interdental papillae at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 weeks following initial periodontal therapy. Measured periodontal parameters in these patients include Plaque index (PI), Gingival bleeding index (GBI), Probing depth (PD), and Clinical attachment loss (CAL). RESULTS: Respective baseline SWE values at the mid-labial gingiva and interdental papilla 25.68 ± 6.82 kPa and 26.78 ± 6.20 kPa, with no significant differences between these two measures. A significant negative correlation between SWE and both PI (r = −0.350, P = 0.004) and GBI (r = −0.287, P = 0.020) was observed at baseline. Initial periodontal therapy contributed to significantly higher SWE values and tougher gingiva, particularly during the first two weeks. Postoperative changes in SWE were negatively correlated with SWE values at baseline (r = −0.710, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results establish SWE as a sensitive noninvasive approach to quantitatively assessing changes in gingival elasticity in real-time.