partment of Periodontology,

Objective: Whole-mouth examination is generally considered as a gold standard for exact periodontal disease assessment. Partial mouth examination also has sometimes been used for this purpose, but its efficacy has been questioned. With regard to symmetric destruc-tion hypothesis of periodontal disease, the present study investigated the efficacy of par-tial-mouth examination as an alternative for whole-mouth examination. Materials and Methods: Eighty subjects aged between 20 to 61 years old (mean 41 years old, 47 males & 33 females) with periodontal disease at different stages of severity and extent (Mild, Moderate, Severe) were examined. Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and papillary bleeding index (PBI) were assessed in whole-mouth except third molars, and were compared with four defined partial-mouth examinations on teeth in Upper Right/Lower Left, Upper Right/Lower Right, and Upper Left/Lower Left quadrants, as well as on Ramfjord teeth. T-test and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) served for statistical analysis. Results: Differences between mean PI, GI, PBI in partial and whole-mouth examinatio