Bacterial colonization patterns of periodontal pockets in different ages.

The aim of this study was to investigate subgingival bacterial composition of untreated Italian subjects with aggressive and chronic periodontitis. The total bacterial load, pathogenic bacteria belonging to "red" and "orange" complexes and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were determined by Real-Time PCR in 1216 patients. Data were analysed by looking for relationships between bacteriological parameters, age and periodontal probing depth.