title: Is Radiologic Assessment of Alveolar Crest Height Useful to Monitor Periodontal Disease Activity?
abstract: The mainstay of periodontal assessment is clinical probing. Radiographic assessment provides quantitative information on the status of tooth-supporting bone. This article reviews methods to assess periodontal structures, including basic radiograph acquisition, assessment of alveolar crest levels, and typical patterns of bone loss. Computer technology to objectively assess loss of alveolar crest from radiographs is reviewed. Developments in computer-assisted quantitation of alveolar crest height are described. Although probing measurements continue to be viewed as more practical than radiographic measurements, radiographic assessment can be made quantitative and is likely easier and more precise than probing for routine assessment of periodontal disease activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 3435 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14214, USA; Department of Oral Basic and Clinical Sciences, Taibah University, Madinah al Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hattan A M
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 3435 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hausmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 3435 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14214, USA. Electronic address: fas1@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Frank A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Scannapieco
mesh_terms: D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011861:Radiography, Dental
keywords: Periodontal diagnosis; Periodontal examination; Periodontitis; Radiographs; Radiologic assessment