Advanced Diagnostic Aids: Pathways to Diagnosis

Periodontal diseases are prevalent human diseases that comprise a group of inflammatory conditions of supporting tissues of teeth. They can be defined by the signs and symptoms of gingival inflammation and / or periodontal tissue destruction. The conventional periodontal examination included the assessment of bleeding on probing mobility probing depth loss of clinical attachment and destruction of alveolar bone is determined radiographically to evaluate the disease severity. This enabled the clinician to make rapid overall assessment of patient’s periodontal status regarding the presence or absence of disease. This information provides evidence of past periodontal destruction as well as its extent and severity. However this approach does not provide any information on the cause of the condition or the patient’s susceptibility to disease whether the disease is progressing whether it is in recession or whether the response to therapy will be positive or negative.