The normal and diseased periodontium and periodontal disease activity

Scientific knowledge regarding the cellular and molecular biology of the periodontium in health is fundamental to the determination of how periodontal diseases begin and progress. Advances in diagnosis and treatment are in turn becoming increasingly dependent upon advances in the molecular biology of inflammation-induced changes in the periodontal tissues, and the regenerative capacity of the periodontal cells. New in vitro cell culture models, a broadening array of monoclonal antibody reagents, and general advances in scientific methodology have presented the field of periodontal research with excellent opportunities to explore the mechanisms of tissue destruction, as well as test innovative means to induce tissue regeneration. Laboratory and clinical findings in the past year have led to major expansions in how we perceive the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases, and also have altered our long-held beliefs about periodontal disease activity.