Periodontitis in the Developmental Age: Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, Differential Diagnosis and Treatment. A Narrative Review

Sergio Mazzoleni, Francesco Saverio Ludovichetti*, Christian Bacci, Andrea Zuccon, Antonio Gracco and Edoardo Stellini

Received: January 31, 2020;   Published: February 13, 2020

DOI: 10.32474/IPDOAJ.2020.03.000173

Full Text PDF

To view the Full Article   Peer-reviewed Article PDF

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to deepen the description of aggressive periodontitis in developmental age patients going through pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and differential diagnosis.

Methods: The database searching was performed on PubMed and Scopus using the following keywords: “prepubertal periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis, periodontitis in children, periodontal disease in children and adolescents, early-onset periodontitis”. Both clinical, laboratorial and review studies were taken into consideration.

Results: Aggressive periodontitis affects a low percentage of children, and in those patients. Actinomycetemcomitans is the main bacterium identified in affected sites. Moreover, it has been found that Genetics plays a fundamental role in development and progression, which is important to distinguish the various oral manifestations excluding the possibility that they are a consequence of systemic pathologies. Although it mainly affects young patients, the treatment does not differ from that applied in adult subjects and it consists of a causal therapy, a mechanic and a pharmacological one, in particular the antibiotics associated with professional hygiene has shown very satisfactory results.

Discussion: Given the great variability of oral manifestation symptoms, there is no specific criterion for defining a high-risk group at prepubertal age, further research is needed to identify a robust set of genetic, microbiological and host factors markers that may facilitate the diagnosis of the disease.

Keywords: Aggressive periodontitis; periodontal disease; developmental age; differential diagnosis

Abstract| Introduction| Methods| Discussion| Conclusion| References|