Development of Nucleic Acid Based Diagnostic Methods and their Implications in Oral Medicine Practice

Abstract

Disease identification methods based on nucleic acids are commonly employed in medical diagnostic procedures. Nucleic acid detection is a vital technique that identifies specific nucleotide sequences, hence indicating the presence of a pathogen or the onset of an unhealthy condition. The techniques based on them are constantly advancing and there is a certain drive in the scientific community to devise tests that are more rapid, reliable, and economical. Advances in nucleic acid based diagnostics, for instance Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequence alignment studies, have transformed the way clinical laboratories presently detect pathogens, allowing for rapid and effective response to infection therapy at an early phase. Nucleic acid detecting might actually be a linkage between oral and systemic diseases since persistent inflammation in the oral cavity is related with systemic diseases. The capacity to distinguish genetically between closely related disorders is especially crucial for bacterial or viral infections, which may rapidly evolve and produce new strains. Another advantage of infectious disease nucleic acid biomarkers being exogenous is that they may be discovered in the body shortly after infection. In principle, this allows for early detection and can be helpful in slowing or stopping disease transmission. This article reviews the evolutionary milestones of its current applications, emerging applications in oral diagnosis and future trends. Over the last decade, molecular biology has evolved at an accelerated pace, enabling the detection and management of a varied range of oral diseases. Understanding the numerous sequencing methodologies and genetic anomalies can assist in clinical application for improved disease diagnosis and prognosis.

Keywords

• in-vitro diagnosis
• oral diseases
• oral microbiology
• oral premalignant disorders
• polymerase chain reaction