Diagnosis of periodontal diseases. Changing concepts. A challenge for the future.

Dental researchers have made great advances in our understanding of the progression and diagnosis of human periodontal disease. Standardized electronic probes promise to improve accuracy in measuring probing attachment levels and one such probe is being marketed to the dental profession. Improved techniques for radiographs such as subtraction radiography will continue to aid in the diagnosis of small changes in attachment. The isolation of an enzymatic diagnostic marker may allow for an in-office diagnostic kit for predicting site specific periodontal disease activity before it occurs. These trends portend well for the practice of periodontics and the management of our patients.