What is Topaz?
The Topaz testing system is a chair-side test for the detection of bacterial toxins, bacterial proteins, and human inflammatory proteins in gingival crevicular fluid. More simply put, the Topaz system allows for a determination of toxicity potential of a tooth by measuring the fluid in the periodontal pocket of a tooth. This test has a high degree of accuracy in making its determination about the toxicity potential of a questionable tooth. For our patients who are totally clear about their desired treatment for a tooth, whether that means keeping it or losing it, we typically do not perform the Topaz tests. For those individuals wanting more information to assist in their decision process, we find it can be valuable. This test was developed and is supported by Dr. Boyd Haley, Ph.D. Biochemist, Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry, U. of Kentucky and by Dr. Curt Pendergrass, Ph.D. Toxicologist and President of ALT, Inc.
TOPAZ is an Open Source content modeling and storage framework built on the Fedora Service Framework, an Open Source storage repository, and Mulgara, an Open Source semantic database. One goal of TOPAZ is to provide a publishing platform to facilitate the shift of the scientific and medical communities from subscription-based journals to an Open Access online commons. TOPAZ debuted to the public in December 2006 with the launch of PLoS ONE.
