| Research Abstract |
The purpose of this study was to detect the presence of 10 putative periodontal pathogens in plaque samples from 104 children, collected from their toothbrushes using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The age range of all subjects was 2-12 years.
1. Both A.actinomycetemcomitans and P.gingivalis were detected in the primary and mixed dentition. The prevalence of A.actinomycetemcomitans in healthy subjects was 4.8%, and those with gingivitis and periodontitis was 6.8% and 20.0% respectively, while the prevalence of P.gingivalis was 4.8% in healthy subjects, and 9.6% and 20.0% in those with gingivitis and periodontitis, respectively. Our survey, using a toothbrush, indicated that A.actinomycetemcomitans and P.gingivalis are rarely present in oral cavities of healthy children.
2. C.sputigena prevalence in healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis subjects was 48.0%, 36.5% and 25.0%, respectively, that for C.ochracea was 100%, 89.4%, and 50.0%, respectively, and that for C.gingivalis was 96.0%, 84.7%, and 75.0%, respectively. Our results showed that C.sputigena was moderately prevalent, whereas C.ochracea and C.gingivalis were commonly detected in the oral cavities of the tested children, suggesting that all of these species become established in the early years.
3. The prevalence of B.forsythus in healthy subjects was 33.3%, those with gingivitis was 63.9%, and those with periodontitis was 58.3%, while the prevalence of T.denticola was 0.0% in healthy subjects, and 18.1% and 16.7% in those with gingivitis and periodontitis, respectively. The prevalence of C.rectus was 100% in all subjects. Our survey indicated that T.denticola could be more associated with periodontal diseases and B.forsythus has a moderately prevalence, while C.rectus is most commonly present in the oral cavity of children and could be established in their early years.
|
