The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether periodontal destruction, diagnosed as an adult, can be predicted by examining bite-wing radiographs taken in adolescence. This retrospective investigation was conducted in Sweden where a unique system of lifetime address registry and public dental care records are available for cross-referencing and locating subjects. The university of Umea identified 250 subjects, approximately 30 years of age, for whom bite-wing radiographs taken at age 15 were still available, and who resided within a short distance from Umea. Dental examinations were conducted in November on 240 subjects at four dental clinics in the surrounding county of Vasterbotten. Clinical components consisted of examines for evidence of gingival bleeding, calculus, pocket depth, and attachment loss at the buccal and mesio-buccal aspects of all teeth excluding third molars. Bite-wing radiographs were taken using an Eggen film standardizing device. Also, a brief questionnaire regarding past periodontal treatment was administered. Assessment of alveolar bone level is being conducted with the aid of video analysis software (JAVA) which allows for enhancement of the image through contrast manipulation, background subtraction, and a variety of filtering systems (smoothing, median, and convolution).
