Research Article
Periodontal Pathogens and Clinical Periodontal Status of School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study
Sheila Cavalca Cortelli1*, Davi R Aquino1, Jose Roberto Cortelli1, Suzane A Raslan1, Caio VG Roman-Torres3, Rodrigo DP Balejo2 and Fernando O Costa4
1Department of Periodontology, Nucleus of Periodontal Research, University of Taubate, SP, Brazil
2Department of Periodontics, University of Taubate, SP, Brazil
3Department of Dentistry, University of Santo Amaro, SP, Brazil
4Department of Periodontology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, MG, Brazil
- *Corresponding Author:
- Sheila Cavalca Cortelli
Department of Periodontology
Nucleus of Periodontal Research
University of Taubate, SP, Brazil
Tel: +55 12 3625-4149
Fax: +55 12 3632-4968
E-mail: cavalcacortelli@uol.com.br
Received Date: March 11, 2014; Accepted Date: April 25, 2014; Published Date: May 02, 2014
Citation: Cortelli SC, Aquino DR, Cortelli JR, Raslan SA, Roman-Torres CVG, et al. (2014) Periodontal Pathogens and Clinical Periodontal Status of School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Oral Hyg Health 2:131. doi:10.4172/2332-0702.1000131
Copyright: © 2014 Cortelli SC, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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.
