Juvenile periodontitis – pattern of progression and relationship to clinical periodontal parameters

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Abstract
– The present investigation was carried out 1) to identify subjects with juvenile periodontitis (JP) in a group of schoolchildren from a community with a high prevalence of periodontal diseases and with no access to preventive dental care, and 2) to study the clinical features of the disease and the progression pattern during a period of 1 yr, and the relationship of JP to clinical periodontal parameters. The periodontal condition of a group of 502 Iraqi schoolchildren (260 girls and 242 boys) was assessed radiographically and clinically at baseline. Children showing 3 mm arc‐shaped angular radiographic bone loss at the proximal surfaces of two or more first molars and who showed clinical attachment loss at the same sites were regarded as JP patients. A second group of children with no signs of JP were randomly chosen from the study material. One year later, the JP and the non‐JP groups were re‐examined radiographically and clinically to assess plaque, gingivitis and presence of calculus. The results showed that nine children (1.8%) had JP. The ratio of girls to boys was 3.5:1, and of localized to generalized forms 2:1. Mesial surfaces of first molars were more often affected than distal surfaces. Clinical assessments showed a more profound loss than was depicted radiographically. All JP patients exhibited evidence of periodontal disease progression during the following year. There were no differences between JP and non‐JP children with respect to gingival inflammation, dental plaque, or calculus deposits on teeth. It was concluded that the present findings are consistent with the view that plaque and plaque‐retaining factors may predispose to the high rate of periodontal support loss usually seen in JP patients.