title: Contemporary concepts in the diagnosis of periodontal disease.
abstract: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of bacterial origin that results in the progressive destruction of the tissues that support the teeth, specifically the gingiva, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. The diagnosis of periodontal disease currently relies almost exclusively on clinical parameters and traditional dental radiography. In this article, the authors review current diagnostic techniques and present new approaches and technologies that are being developed to improve assessment of this common condition.
authors.affiliation: Section of Oral and Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Periodontics, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, New York, NY 10032, USA. dlw2004@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Dana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Ira B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Lamster
mesh_terms: D003945:Diagnosis, Oral / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010517:Periodontics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012720:Severity of Illness Index