The composition of the subgingival microflora of young adults suffering from juvenile periodontitis

The composition of subgingival plaque, from healthy and periodontally diseased regions, as well as the clinical periodontal condition of 6 patients, 17 to 24‐years‐old suffering from juvenile periodontitis were examined. 6 older patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis served as a control. Samples of subgingival plaque were taken from first molars and central incisors and were analysed morphologically by dark‐field microscopy. In the control group in healthy regions the ratio between non‐motile and motile bacteria was 27‐1 and about 1:1 in deep pockets. In the juvenile periodontitis group in diseased regions, motile bacteria made up only 1/1 of the bacteria present. The results clearly show that our relatively old patients with juvenile periodontitis had a completely different microflora in their periodontally diseased regions than patients with common periodontitis. As regards our observations by dark‐field microscopy, one can assume, however, that with increasing age there might be a shift of the flora associated with juvenile periodontitis lesions from a rather simple composition to a more complex composition very similar to the flora seen in rapidly progressive adult periodontitis lesions.