Alveolar bone in health and disease

The extent and the severity of alveolar bone loss in the dentition are usually assessed by a combination of radiographic and clinical means and are important adjuncts to the clinician in the diagnosis treatment planning and assessment of prognosis of the periodontal patient. The presence of periodontal osseous lesions is clinically significant in many ways. It relates to the associated loss of tooth support to the site specificity of periodontal destruction and to the possibility that ecological niches (deep pockets and furcation involvement) associated with some osseous lesions may represent site-specific risk factors or indicators for disease progression.