Gingival and Periodontal Diseases in Children and Adolescents

Periodontium is a connective tissue covered by epithelium,that attaches the teeth to the bones of jaws and provides a continuous adapting apparatus for support of teeth during function. Periodontium consists of two hard tissues bone and cementum and two fibrous tissue periodontal ligament and gingiva. Gingival and Periodontal diseases comprise the most wide spread infections of humankind & many of these manifest themselves in the childhood. The periodontal diseases affecting children and adolescent are numerous. These diseases can be conveniently grouped into the following entities: gingivitis, early - onset forms of periodontitis, incipient adult periodontitis, necrotizing gingivitis and periodontitis and periodontitis associated with systemic disease.