Advances in diagnosis of periodontal diseases

ABSTRACT

Current understanding of the natural progression of human periodontal disease and its pathogenesis has influenced our approach to periodontal diagnosis. Traditional diagnostic procedures for periodontal disease such as probing and radiographic assessment, provide information on previous disease experience but not of present site specific activity nor of possible future attachment. This paper reviews the modified concepts regarding the initiation and progression as well as the classification of periodontal diseases and finally the diagnostic tests, both traditional and newly developed with an aim to provide information and rationale of recent developments in the field of periodontal diagnosis, to general dental practitioners. This will help them to combat the periodontal disease before it progresses too far