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Treating gum disease in children
Our dentist believes that my teenage son has periodontal disease. Can children get gum disease? If so, what is the best treatment?
Most patients diagnosed with gum disease (periodontitis) are adults. However, children and adolescents can also contract periodontitis. If gum disease is noted in a young patient who is otherwise healthy, the condition is called early onset periodontitis (EOP).
There are three forms of EOP:
- Pre-pubertal periodontitis
- Juvenile periodontitis
- Rapidly progressive periodontitis.
Pre-pubertal periodontitis
This can arise between the ages of about two to ten years. Signs of this disease include inflammation of the gum tissue, rapid bone loss, tooth mobility and tooth loss. It may be generalised or localised.
The generalised form is commonly associated with other systemic diseases, ear infections and upper respiratory infections. A defect in the immune system plays a role in the destruction of the tissue. Several types of bacteria have been isolated in patients with this disease. This form does not typically respond to antibiotic therapy and will continue to progress. This leads to early loss of the primary and permanent teeth. Early extraction of the primary teeth may be recommended to prevent infection of the permanent teeth.
The localised form may be responsive to thorough professional cleaning, meticulous oral hygiene and antibiotic therapy.
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