Recent advances in methods for the assessment of dental calculus--research and clinical implications.

The diagnostic evaluation of supra- and subgingival calculus has remained an important research problem for over 40 years. The measurement of calculus remains an important objective in both research and office settings. As might be expected, the most important advances in diagnostic methods for calculus assessment have been derived from cross-fertilization from other technical disciplines including engineering, optics and computer science fields. With the new methods described herein, clinicians and researchers can look forward to important advances in our understanding of the impact of supragingival and subgingival calculus on oral health status and periodontal disease progression and in the development of treatment modalities for improved calculus control, benefiting patients and clinicians alike.