New technologies for the diagnosis of periodontal disease

Historically the initial onset of periodontal disease in an individual was considered slow but continuously progressive over time. It was inferred that an individual would experience progressive destruction of the attachment structures until edentulous. However, several studies in the early 1970s contested the traditional concept of continuous disease progression. These studies suggested that periodontal disease progressed by recurrent acute episodes. In specific individuals, the loss of attachment was faster than the concept of slowly progressing disease. There were also sites in patients that progressed slower (or not at all) than anticipated on the basis of radiographic and clinical history of previous disease progression. These findings clearly indicated the need to explore the nature of periodontal disease progression and to institute a major effort into innovative methods to diagnose periodontal diseases. Dentists and researchers could more effectively prevent and treat periodontal disease and relate pertinent research findings to specific disease initiation and progression.