Periodontosis is an obsolete term that was used to describe what was once thought to be certain type of unique and distinguishable chronic periodontal disease that manifested as degenerative bony changes without concomitant inflammation. Although utilized for more than 50 years, the term has since been dropped in favor of a more contemporary disease classification for periodontal disease. Described by Gottlieb as a "diffuse atrophy of the alveolar bone," the term periodontosis was later applied and it gained acceptance as a disease entity, being defined as: