Prevalence of Periodontal Pathogens in a Group of Participants from the Middle East and North Africa Geographic Region with Minimal Periodontal Disease

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of the three putative periodontal pathogens such as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. a), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. g), and Prevotella intermedia (P. i) in a group of Arab participants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region who had minimal periodontal disease and no history of periodontal treatment and further to analyze the association among these three microorganisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-four participants of varied demographics and oral/dental care habits were screened for this study. Twenty-one participants who eventually gave their consent to fully participate in the study provided a balanced representation of the screened universe. RESULTS: Seventy-eight microbiological samples were taken from the deepest pockets. Twenty-three percent of all samples were found to be A. a positive and so were 79% for P. g and 82% for P. i. A highly remarkable association was observed between the presence of P. i along with P. g (P < 0.00l; Fisher's exact test). Of all samples, merely six cases were P. i positive but not P. g and eight cases were vice versa. There was a statistically significant association between A. a and P. g (P = 0.016). No significant relationship was detected between P. i and A. a. CONCLUSIONS: This qualitative study shows very high frequency of the three periodontal pathogens (A. a, P. g, and P. i) in a group of Arab nationals with minimal periodontal disease. The lack of oral hygiene, minimal use of antimicrobial drugs and antiseptics, and the absence of dental care may partly explain the high prevalence of periodontal pathogens.