Transmission of Periodontal Disease Through Saliva Transmission of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is associated with the pathogens Actinobacillus. actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis. These pathogens are found in both juvenile and adult periodontitis. People who don't have periodontitis are rarely found to have A. actinomycetemcomitans and P.gingivalis. Research has demonstrated that these pathogens are transmitted among family member.

When Do the Pathogens Colonize the Oral Ecosystem?

actinomycetemcomitans and P.gingivalis are not found in the mouths of infants and very young children. A Finnish study did not find the pathogens in a group of 1 to 7-month-old infants or in a group of young children aged 2 to 3 years. A variety of other pathogens are frequently found in low numbers in the mouths of people who are periodontally healthy, even when they are young children. In fact, young children who do acquire A. actinomycetemcomitans may only harbor the bacterium for a short time.

A. actinomycetemcomitans. Research indicates that children tend to acquire A. actinomycetemcomitans about the time that their permanent teeth erupt, which is generally around 5 to 11 years of age. Moreover, once the bacterium has colonized in the oral ecosystem during these years in a child's life, it becomes established.

P.gingivalis. Colonization of P.gingivalis generally occurs after the onset of puberty -- even then, according to empirical research, the bacterium does not colonize unless periodontal disease is present.

Saliva is a Vehicle for the Transmission of Bacterium

Periodontal pathogens thrive in inflamed periodontal pockets of infected gums. The pathogens are also found on the tongue, the mucosal surfaces, and in the saliva. Research has shown that people with periodontal disease exhibit periodontal...

This is taken as evidence that periodontal pathogens are spread from the diseased periodontal gums to the saliva. Moreover, the presence of periodontal pathogens in the saliva correlates with the presence of periodontitis. Research has further shown that treatment for periodontitis does markedly decrease or eradicate periodontal bacteria in the saliva; however, some periodontal bacteria in the saliva are seen to return to pretreatment levels as soon as six months post-treatment. The treatment implications are that follow-up periodontal treatment should occur within six months of the first or prior treatments. This treatment regimen is believed to help keep the levels of periodontal pathogens low in the saliva.
Propensity to spread microbiota. Research has shown that periodontal pathogens are spread from person to person through the saliva, just as most other bacterium may be shared. The likelihood of mouth-to-mouth transmission of periodontal bacteria is influenced by the susceptibility of the recipient to microbial colonization and by the frequency of exposure to the infectious saliva of others. Moreover, researchers theorize that mouth-to-mouth transmission of periodontal bacteria is more likely to result in colonization in a child than in adulthood. Developing oral bacteria microbiota may be more receptive to new bacterial invaders than established microbiota, which may be more resistant to colonization by new and different bacteria.

Bacterial transmission mechanics. A variety of research methods have been used to verify the modes of transmission of oral bacteria. Researchers have utilized fingerprinting techniques that permit the identification of specific clones or individual strains of bacteria. Historically, serotyping and biotyping was…