Advances in Dental Research, Vol 7, 182-190, Copyright © 1993 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Current status of tests for periodontal disease
I. B. Lamster, R. S. Celenti, H. H. Jans, J. B. Fine and J. T. Grbic
Division of Periodontics, School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Columbia University, New York 10032.
The methods applied to the diagnosis of periodontal disease are changing.
Historically, static clinical and radiographic parameters have formed the
basis of the periodontal evaluation. As the limitations of these
traditional procedures became clear, several new techniques have been
proposed as diagnostic tests for periodontal disease. These tests are based
on improved understanding of the pathogenesis of periodontal disease, and
can be considered in three categories: assessment of physical changes in
the periodontium, the bacterial infection, and the host response to the
infection. Several technical questions must be addressed before these tests
can be widely utilized. These specific concerns include such matters as the
information available from the tests (e.g., Does the test provide a measure
of disease severity or identify the site, region, or patient experiencing
active disease?), the most appropriate test configurations, the statistical
analysis of data from trials examining the accuracy of the tests, and
selection of patients who would benefit from these procedures. Last,
several important practical issues must be examined before these tests can
be expected to gain widespread acceptance. These include familiarization of
dental practitioners with the use of diagnostic tests and the medical
laboratory, the role of regulatory agencies in determining the claims made
by these tests, and the medical/dental insurance benefits provided for
these services.
