Radiographs in periodontal disease diagnosis and management

Radiographs are an integral component of a periodontal assessment for those with clinical evidence of periodontal destruction. A close consideration of the current approach to periodontal diagnosis compatible with the current classification of periodontal diseases reveals that radiographs only inform with respect to diagnosis for a small proportion of conditions. The area in periodontal assessment in which radiographs play a pivotal role is in treatment planning. A variety of radiographic exposure types assist in the development of periodontal treatment plans. This “therapeutic yield” can be achieved by panoramic oral radiographs supplemented by selective intra‐oral views. Digital panoramic oral radiographs viewed on screen appear to offer advantages over printouts or films. Newer imaging approaches, such as cone‐beam computed (digital volume) tomography, may come to show some usefulness but experience has shown that digital subtraction radiography will probably remain a research tool without much clinical application.