Aim: The aim of the present study is an epidemiological study of risk factors and the prevalence of periodontal disease in children aged 10-14 years. Materials and methods: The subject of the study were 457 children. All were clinically examined, and the data were recorded on a specially designed card. Each child was assessed for risk periodontal profile in 4 levels, which includes: assessment of oral hygiene habits; registration of dental status, reporting of carious lesions and obturations on surfaces dangerous for periodontal health (proximal, cervical); the presence of orthodontic anomalies and other risk factors; assessment of the plaque index of Silness-Loe (PLSL); assessment of gingival index according to Loe and Silness (GILS) Results: Carious lesions at risk for gingival inflammation surfaces are registered in 59% of children, at risk for periodontal health fillings in 32% and orthodontic anomalies in 37%. The studied children showed relatively good oral hygiene (PLSL-0.43 ± 0.28), which improved with age, with the largest amount of plaque observed on the proximal and vestibular surfaces. Over 88% of children have mild gingival inflammation (GILS-0.56 ± 0.42), mainly affecting the front teeth in both jaws. Conclusions: Gingival inflammation in 10-14 year old children covers more than half of the studied children, with mild forms of inflammation predominating with a relatively low oral hygiene index. 2/3 of registered caries and 1/3 of the fillings have a localization which presents a risk for periodontal health. Orthodontic anomalies are the next most serious risk factor for plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation.

Periodontal diseases, as an important part of oral pathology, have their distinctive characteristics when affecting children and young adults. The aim of this study was to identify the subgingival microorganisms through the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in children at the age of puberty who have plaque-induced gingivitis. The subjects of observation were 60 children, aged between 10 and 14, who did not have any systemic diseases: 30 without gingivitis (up to 25% PBI); 30 with clinically diagnosed plaque-induced gingivitis (over 25% PBI). The clinical status of each child was registered using a custom-made medical card. Gingival sulcus samples were taken with a paper pin from six teeth for real time PCR identification based on nine control strains (a comprehensive sample). Samples were transported in standardised containers. The results showed that the average quantities of the tested microorganisms were between 1 × 10² and 1 × 10⁵ microorganisms per sample. There was a trend towards a putative increase in the average quantities of microorganisms, except for Fusobacterium nucleatum, in children with gingivitis as compared to healthy children. There were associations with up to four microorganisms in healthy children. In children with gingivitis, there was greater diversity of microorganisms, with half of the children from this group having associations with 5–7 microorganisms. The subgingival microflora became more complex in children with gingivitis: the predominant group were microorganisms from the red complex (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia) and the frequency of microorganisms from the orange complex also increased.

Background: Periodontal pathology in children has distinctive characteristics that can be accounted for by the peculiarities of the age, the dynamically changing oral environment, and the processes of formation and stabilization of periodontal structures during teeth eruption. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the composition of the subgingival microbiota during permanent dentition formation in puberty. Materials and methods: The study included 30 children aged between 10 and 15 years without gingivitis (up to 25% PBI), with good oral hygiene, with no systemic diseases or reception of antibiotics for 3 months. The clinical status of all children was assessed using a specially designed chart based on the periodontal examination chart of a child adopted by the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, FDM-Sofia. Gingival sulcus samples were taken with a paper pin from 6 teeth for a PCR – Real Time study of 9 control strains (a comprehensive sample). The samples were sent for investigation in standardized containers. Results: C. gingivalis (green complex) was found in almost all tested children and F. nucleatum (orange complex) - in more than half of them. The rest of the tested samples for microorganisms was isolated in just few of the children (6% - 17%). A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis were not isolated in this study. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that a significant amount of the periodontal pathogens migrate to the subgingival zone relatively early, immediately after the permanent teeth eruption, and become a risk factor for the development of periodontal disease.

Introduction: Measuring the gingival sulcus depth in children while their permanent teeth erupt is rather difficult especially if using reference norms for adults for a base. Aim: Assessment of the depth of the gingival sulcus during the period of tooth eruption in healthy children. Materials and methods: Thirty children were included in the study (age range 6 – 14 yrs). The children had good oral hygiene and no history of systemic disease. They were clinically examined – their dental statuses were taken, stages of permanent teeth eruption (up to 1/3 of the clinical crown, between 1/3 and 2/3, over 2/3, in occlusion contact), and their gingival sulcus depth was measured at 6 distovestibular, vestibular, mesiovestibular, mesiolingual, lingual, and distolingual sites using an electronic probe Parometer (Orange). It was concluded that the one with the highest value would be considered the maximum depth of the sulcus. Results: The gingival sulcus depth in fully erupted teeth is very similar to that in healthy adults (2.20 – 0.49 mm). The change of sulcus depth in incisors and canines has a variation of 1.5 mm, which at the end of eruption is close to those in adults. Maximum sulcus depth for molars, premolars and incisors was measured distovestibularly, and for canines – mesiovestibularly. Conclusion: At the various stages of eruption, the depth of the gingival sulcus plausibly decreases in all tooth types, and by the end of eruption it reaches a depth similar to that of the adult standard. Most indicative in regard to depth are the vestibular probing point.

Introduction: Pathological tooth wear in children with primary dentition can be a result of various harmful habits, risk factors and nocturnal bruxism. It is difficult to be distinguished from physiological tooth wear. Aim:To study caries prevalence, tooth wear prevalence, its clinical characteristics and its relationship with bruxism in children aged 3 - 7 years. Materials and methods: The object of the study are 222 children, divided into 5 age groups - from 3 to 7 years. The examined children underwent a clinical examination, during which the following were registered: dental status, caries prevalence, the type, degree and prevalence of tooth wear. Information on the presence and characteristics of nocturnal bruxism in the examined children was obtained from the parents. The results were statistically processed with SPSS-19. Results: Tooth wear is found in more than 2/3 of the examined children (P<0.05). The highest average number of abraded teeth is present in 6- and 7-year-old children - about 7. Tooth abrasion affects 75% of canine teeth, 37.6% of incisors and 11.8% of molars in children aged 3-7 years. The predominant severity of wear is that in the inner ½ of the enamel (degree 1b) and occurs in 41.7% of children (P<0.05). 1/3 of the examined children have nocturnal bruxism (P<0.05). In almost 90% of them, tooth wear was found (P<0.05). Conclusions: There is an increase in the severity of tooth abrasion with age in children between 3-7 years. Nocturnal bruxism is almost always accompanied by tooth wear.