Comparison of some subgingival microflora from juvenile periodontitis before and after scaling and root planing

Abstract

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Capnocytophaga are subgingival bacteria that have correlation with juvenile periodontitis. Studies were carried out in a group of 20 patients with juvenile periodontitis before, after treatment by scaling, root planing, oral hygiene instruction and 20 patients with healthy gingiva as a control group. Gingival index, plaque index, pocket depth were measured. Subgingival bacteria were counted on selective media and compared by phase contrast microscopy. Before treatment all measurements in the patients and the control group were significantly different (P less than 0.05). In the patients before and after treatment all clinical measurements were significantly different (P less than 0.05) but the amount of A.actinomycetemcomitans and Capnocytophaga were not significantly different (P greater than 0.05). These results indicate that treatment of juvenile periodontitis by scaling, root planing and oral hygiene instruction improve the clinical measurements but are not effective in reducing proportions of subgingival bacteria.