Software and hardware for the differential diagnosis of parodontal disease using discriminant analysis

Abstract

Our investigation showed that the methods of functional diagnosis of parodontal diseases (namely RPG and PPG) in conjunction with discriminant analysis differentiates with a high degree of probability existing forms of parodontal disease. It is important to emphasize that the use of computational technology on all levels (from hospital computers to personal computers and microcalculators) permits the physician to perform his tasks in a simple and generally accessible manner. In practice the physician makes use of prepared programs entered into the memory of a computer or microcalculator, which not only relieves him of routine work but also allows him to perform necessary calculations in the most efficient way, which in many ways increases the efficiency and quality of his diagnosis. This in turn permits determination of more precise indications (individually for each patient) for pathogenetic therapy of parodontal disease. The calculations can be useful in applying discriminant analysis in stomatology on a broad scale: for the objective of an entire range of diagnostic indicators (x-ray, biochemical, hematological, microbiological, immunological et al.), and also in the comparative analysis of epidemiological data, marginal-pathological and iatrogenic factors etc. The algorithm and software examined above are being used as a supplementary unit in the DIAST expert system.