title: Current concepts in periodontal disease testing.
abstract: Tests for periodontal disease fall into four categories. The test may identify putative periodontopathic plaque bacteria, the susceptible host, metabolic changes associated with inflammation, tissue damage or death or anatomic changes including periodontal probing and radiographs. The current understanding of tests for periodontal disease is reviewed within a framework for understanding the rationale for such tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Birmingham.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jeffcoat
mesh_terms: D015342:DNA Probes; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000175:diagnosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000379:methods; D013382:Subtraction Technique
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes