Localized prepubertal periodontitis--nonsurgical treatment of an adolescent patient: a case report

The treatment of localized juvenile periodontitis has been previously described in the literature, utilizing primarily a long-term (2 to 6 week) antibiotic regimen, notably tetracycline. This case report of juvenile periodontitis with extensive bone loss describes a short-term treatment (8 days), using a combination of two antibiotics and mechanical debridement. Clinical treatment included instruction of proper oral hygiene techniques. Initial scaling and root planing were performed to remove supragingival and subgingival accretions, followed by 2-month maintenance recalls. Pre- and postoperative radiographs, taken one year after the treatment, are used to document the evidence of natural bone regeneration. The learning objective of this article is to present an effective method of treatment-a debridement/antibiotic combination, followed by bone regeneration.