title: Radiographs in periodontal disease diagnosis and management.
abstract: Radiographs are an integral component of a periodontal assessment for those with clinical evidence of periodontal destruction. A close consideration of the current approach to periodontal diagnosis compatible with the current classification of periodontal diseases reveals that radiographs only inform with respect to diagnosis for a small proportion of conditions. The area in periodontal assessment in which radiographs play a pivotal role is in treatment planning. A variety of radiographic exposure types assist in the development of periodontal treatment plans. This "therapeutic yield" can be achieved by panoramic oral radiographs supplemented by selective intra-oral views. Digital panoramic oral radiographs viewed on screen appear to offer advantages over printouts or films. Newer imaging approaches, such as cone-beam computed (digital volume) tomography, may come to show some usefulness but experience has shown that digital subtraction radiography will probably remain a research tool without much clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. efcorbet@hkusua.hku.hk
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Corbet
authors.forename: D K L
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: S M L
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D013382:Subtraction Technique