Critical Analysis of Molecular Biochemical Markers in Periodontal Health and Diseases - Concept and Principles

In the field of oral disease diagnosis, there has been a steady growing trend during the last two decades to develop tools to monitor periodontitis. From physical measurements such as periodontal probing to sophisticated genetic susceptibility analysis and molecular assays for the detection of molecular biochemical biomarkers on the different stages of the disease, substantial improvements have been made on the understanding of the mediators implicated on the initiation and progression of periodontitis. At the same time, this evolutionary process has promoted the discovery of new biochemical biomarkers and the development of new therapeutic approaches mainly using host modulation. It is clear that no single marker will fulfill all the criteria necessary for assessment of the clinical state of the periodontium, and future research should be directed at the production of “marker packages”. The development of a wide spectrum of marker factors will be a primary goal of periodontal research. This book examines all aspects of the progress being made towards the development of highly specific and sensitive molecular biochemical biomarkers that will overcome the shortcomings of clinical assessments in periodontics.