Clinical challenges in diagnosing and monitoring periodontal inflammation.

An understanding of the new paradigm that periodontal disease may have a relationship to various systemic inflammatory conditions of aging reinforces the importance of monitoring oral inflammation. As oral health care providers, it is important to accurately assess, monitor, and manage our patients' inflammatory load. This review examines some of the clinical challenges associated with diagnosing and monitoring periodontal inflammation. Given these difficulties, patient management may be more effective when these patients are co-managed with a periodontist.