A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, B. forsythus, F. nucleatum and P. micros are all significant markers for destructive periodontal disease in adult subjects. Based on calculated odds ratios, B. forsythus and P. gingivalis are the strongest bacterial markers for this disease and are infrequently cultured from subjects without periodontal bone loss.

Smoking is a determining factor for the composition of the subgingival microflora in adult patients with periodontitis and may select for a specific cluster of periodontal pathogens, notably Bf, Pm, Fn, and Cr. On the basis of these observations, smoking, among other criteria, may be one parameter to use in deciding to treat refractory periodontitis in smokers with a systemic antibiotic therapy directed against smoking-associated periodontal bacteria.

The subgingival area is a microbial habitat for mutans streptococci that may be of importance in the development of root caries in periodontitis patients.

No abstract

Because of the lack of differences in microflora between the DS group and the control group, a specific effect of the microbiological composition in the periodontal status of subjects with DS can be excluded in this population. Host factors constitute the more likely explanation of the differences observed in DS.