Periodontal diagnosis in daily practice.

This paper reviews the measures and techniques available for use in everyday dental practice to diagnose periodontal diseases. An overview of the causes, aetiology, progression and classification of periodontal diseases is given. Attention is paid to the examination of plaque and calculus and bleeding, while detailed descriptions are given of probing techniques, depths and pressures. Measurement of attachment loss, recording of mobility and observation of suppuration are also considered.