LONGITUDINAL EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERIODONTAL DESTRUCTIONIN SPOUSES

The aim of the present investigation was to study longitudinally the p eriodontal condition of married couples. The data are derived from a l ongitudinal study in a young population living in a remote village in Indonesia and showing a relatively high prevalence of periodontal dest ruction. In 23 married couples, clinical measurements were carried out in 1987 and 1994. During the latter examination, a pooled gingival sa mple was obtained for microbiological evaluation. In 1994, the mean ag e of the group was 29.1 years and the couples were married for on the average 10 years. In each couple, the partner showing in 1994 the high est score for mean loss of attachment (LA) was classified as the disea sed proband and the other partner as the spouse. Evaluation of the cli nical data shelved that: (1) the diseased probands already had in 1987 a worse periodontal condition compared to that of the spouses; (2) in both groups the mean LA increased during the 7-year period;(3) the di fference in mean LA between diseased probands and spouses increased be tween 1987 and 1994. The microbiological evaluation revealed a relativ ely high prevalence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (50%), Por phyromonas gingivalis (67%) and Prevotella intermedia 61%. analysis sh owed no differences in microbiota between diseased probands and spouse s. The 23 Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans positive subjects inclu ded 2 positive couples. Furthermore, the 31 Porphyromonas gingivalis a nd 28 Prevotella intermedia positive subjects included 9 and 7 positiv e couples respectively. In conclusion, 10 years of cohabitation showed no influence on the periodontal condition of the spouses.