Free INBDE — Integrated National Board Dental Examination Flashcards

A probing depth increase that fully resolves with improved plaque control and shows no accompanying radiographic bone loss reflects gingival inflammation causing tissue edema and a pseudopocket, rather than true periodontal attachment loss, since genuine periodontitis-related bone and attachment loss does not reverse simply with improved hygiene over two weeks. Recognizing this distinction prevents overdiagnosing periodontitis based on a single probing depth measurement taken during an active inflammatory flare, and confirms that nonsurgical hygiene reinforcement alone, rather than periodontal surgical intervention, was the appropriate and sufficient management for this presentation.