Periodontal Pathogens and Clinical Periodontal Status of School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Although gingivitis affects dentate people in all ages it reaches high prevalence levels in children and adolescents. Purpose: This cross-sectional study compared the frequency of target bacterial species and its relation to periodontal status in children. Methods: 254 systemically healthy children, between 6 and 12 years of age, with mixed dentition, having a healthy periodontium or gingivitis were selected. Whole-mouth dichotomous plaque and gingival indices were evaluated and microbial samples were collected from tongue dorsum, first molars, right maxillary and left mandibular incisors. Results: P. gingivalis was the most frequent pathogen in the sulci of periodontally healthy children; T. forsythia and A. actinomycetemcomitans were the less detected species in tongue samples. P. gingivalis was the most frequent pathogen in both teeth and tongue samples among gingivitis children. C. rectus was more frequent in the sulci of healthy children while frequency of P. gingivalis was higher in gingivitis. Conclusions: It can be concluded that P. gingivalis was highly frequent and that C. rectus was more frequent in heathy children. At this range of age clinical status was not always directly related to the presence of the searched pathogens.