These proceedings record the symposia and lectures of researchers who were essential to the process of bringing a clear picture of the changing patterns of the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases to colleagues from around the world. More than a thousand dental professionals attended, with the speakers themselves drawn from more than 30 countries. The main symposium themes included recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases, chemical plaque control of gingivitis and periodontal disease, reappraisal of longitudinal studies, new surgical approaches to the regeneration of periodontal tissues and the periodontal application of dental implants. The reader will note, whilst reviewing the papers presented at this Congress, the gradual build up of an increasing awareness of the potential for regeneration of periodontal tissues. Current approaches draw upon chemotherapeutic and biological concepts which have emerged in the last decade, whilst other papers record the precision of increasingly sensitive ultrastructural and histochemical probes of disease activity.