Markers of periodontal disease susceptibility and activity--a review.

There appears to be sufficient evidence to indicate that traditional clinical parameters are unable to determine active disease sites in periodontitis and predict future periodontal breakdown. This paper attempts to review some of the recent research aimed at developing laboratory markers of disease susceptibility and activity. A wide variety of studies have involved specific plaque bacteria and their products, host cells and their products, and products of soft and hard tissue injury. Although research to date has been unsuccessful in providing the clinician with reliable diagnostic aids, the rapid progress being made towards refining sampling and analytic techniques gives cause for optimism. These markers may, in the near future, enable the dentist to target preventive measures for patients who are at a greater risk of losing their teeth to destructive periodontitis.