Occurrence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in patients wearing orthodontic appliances
The aim of the present investigation was to assess the occurrence of A.a. in subgingival plaque from young subjects undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. Of the 34 subjects participating in the study, 20 subjects had worn orthodontic appliances and 14 subjects were designated as control. A statistically significant difference was present when comparing the percentage of gingival bleeding index positive scores between teeth from the test group (57.5%) and the control group (25%). Plaque was present in 53% of test sites and 37% of control sites, but was not statistically significant. A.a. was detected from at least one site in 85% of test subjects and in 15% of the control subjects (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the study showed that young subjects wearing orthodontic appliances harbor A.a. with remarkable frequency of detection, although plaque levels do not significantly differ from those of a matched control group. [S.L.]
Paolantonio, M., G. Girolamo,V. Pedrezzoli, C. Murro, C. Picciani G. Catamo, M. Cattabriga, and R. Piccolomini, J Clin Periodont, 23:112, 1996