130 - Perio Focused Interdisciplinary Cases

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory process affecting the protective and supportive tissues around the tooth. When this disease is rapidly progressing early in life, it is called aggressive periodontitis, more recently Grade C (high risk of progression) periodontitis. This disease starts early in life, is found in less than 3% of the population in North America, differently than the more common slowly progressive form of periodontitis, which affects 1 out of 2 Americans, and affects most commonly African-Americans. It is also known to aggregate in families. When initiated, it affects very specific teeth in the mouth, permanent or primary teeth, leading to a rapid bone destruction if not treated timely. Our group have studied a population with this disease for over ten years now in an attempt to unveil this disease etiology, contributing factors and response to treatment. In this lecture, we will cover aggressive periodontitis in young individuals, its clinical presentation, pathogenesis, risk factors and important treatment aspects and expected response to treatment.