Experimental gingivitis in relation to susceptibility to periodontal disease. (I.) Clinical observations

The aim of the present study was to investigate the rate of development of experimentally-induced gingival inflammation in relation to the susceptibility to periodontal disease. By selection according to age, a younger (25-39 years) and an older (45-54 years) age group, with a comparable reduced but healthy periodontium, was selected. This equal amount of periodontal breakdown may suggest that the younger age group represented individuals with a relatively higher degree of susceptibility to periodontal disease. At the start of the experiment, each patient was instructed to abstain from oral hygiene procedures in 1 quadrant of the mouth for a period of 18 days. Results showed that all subjects developed signs of gingival inflammation. Regarding the development of redness and swelling, no differences could be assessed between the 2 age groups. However, analysis of the bleeding scores revealed that bleeding on probing developed more rapidly in the younger age group. It was concluded that those patients who have suffered from a more rapid form of periodontal disease also develop inflammation, in terms of bleeding on probing, more rapidly.