UNTREATED PERIODONTAL-DISEASE IN INDONESIAN ADOLESCENTS - CLINICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL BASE-LINE DATA

At present, several risk factors for the initiation and progression of periodontitis have been identified. In order to investigate the role of various potential clinical and microbiological risk factors and ind icators, a longitudinal study was initiated in a young population depr ived from regular dental care. The present communication describes the baseline cross-sectional data obtained in 1987 in terms of the clinic al periodontal condition and prevalence of periodontal bacteria in the oral cavity. All inhabitants in the age range 15-25 years of a villag e with approximately 2000 inhabitants at a tea estate on Western Java, Indonesia, were examined clinically and microbiologically. In total, 255 adolescents, comprising 130 males and 125 females participated in the study. Samples for bacteriological examination were taken from the gingiva, the dorsum of the tongue, and the saliva. Plaque index, blee ding upon probing, pocket depth, and attachment loss (AL) were scored on the approximal surfaces from the vestibular aspect of all teeth as well as the mid-vestibular and mid-lingual aspects of the Ramfjord tee th. Calculus was scored only on the 4 surfaces of the Ramfjord teeth. Following the clinical measurements, the deepest bleeding pocket with no clinical loss of attachment was sampled for microbiological examina tion. In addition, in 37 subjects a deep bleeding (greater than or equ al to 4 mm) with at least 4 mm of attachment loss was sampled. Moderat e periodontitis (max. AL 3-4 mm) was found in 26% of the population, a dvanced periodontitis (max. AL greater than or equal to 5 mm) in 8%, w hereas 66% of the population showed no or minor periodontitis (max. AL 0-2 mm). Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans was found in 57% of the population, Porphyromonas gingivalis in 87%, Prevotella intermedia an d motile rods in all cases and spirochetes in 89%. P. gingivalis (66%) , A. actinomycetemcomitans (37%) and spirochetes (63%) were, of all th e sampled sites of the oral cavity, most frequently detected in pocket s without attachment loss. Motile rods were most prevalent on the tong ue and in the saliva (92% and 89%, respectively). A high prevalence of the investigated periodontal bacteria was detected both in the pocket s without and with attachment loss. No significant association between the clinical periodontal parameters and the prevalence of the microor ganisms was observed at a patient level. At a site level, both P. ging ivalis and spirochetes were more prevalent in sites with attachment lo ss. The actual role of these putative periodontal pathogens may be elu cidated more extensively, when longitudinal data on the present popula tion become available.