Biomarkers of Oral Diseases

Biomarkers are increasingly employed in empirical studies of human populations to understand physiological processes that change with age. The biomarker is either produced by the diseased organ (e.g. tumour) or by the body in response to disease. Before diagnosis, markers could be used for screening and risk assessment. During diagnosis, markers can determine staging, grading, and selection of initial therapy. Later, they can be used to monitor therapy, select additional therapy, or monitor recurrent diseases. As the technologies are advancing and the inter relation of oral diseases with the systemic diseases has been established, more and more emphasis has been laid for developing biomarkers for diagnosing oral health and disease. Alone or in combination, biomarkers can provide an early warning system of risk for future adverse health outcomes. In the future, integration of biomarkers, identified using emerging technologies, into medical practice will be necessary to achieve 'personalization' of treatment and disease prevention. Therefore the aim of this book is to review the available literature on biomarkers related to oral diseases.