Loesche W J
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto.
J Can Dent Assoc. 1991 Jul;57(7):574-8.
A diagnostic test should be useful, ideally leading to a choice of treatment(s) that would confer benefits upon the patient. The many uses of diagnostic tests are listed in Table 2, but it should be recognized that no single test can be relied on exclusively. Combinations of various tests, especially those which detect infections and those which detect inflammation, would provide useful information for diagnosing and managing the patient's treatment. Certainly, any test or procedure can be considered useful if it facilitates the successful treatment of a patient's periodontal condition without a disproportionate increase in the cost to the patient or in his or her discomfort. By these criteria, many of the tests described in this paper are useful. The entry of these tests into clinical practice seems to be only a matter of time; their true usefulness is for the clinician to determine.
诊断测试应该是有用的，理想情况下能引导选择出对患者有益的治疗方法。诊断测试的多种用途列于表2中，但应该认识到不能仅仅依赖单一测试。各种测试的组合，特别是那些检测感染的测试和那些检测炎症的测试，将为诊断和管理患者的治疗提供有用信息。当然，如果任何测试或程序有助于成功治疗患者的牙周状况，而不会使患者的费用或不适过度增加，那么就可以认为它是有用的。按照这些标准，本文中描述的许多测试都是有用的。这些测试进入临床实践似乎只是时间问题；它们的真正效用有待临床医生来确定。
