Lepperdinger U, Angwin C, Milnes D et al. Oral characteristics in adult individuals with periodontal Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. J Clin Periodontol 2022; DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13698. Online ahead of print.

Characteristic oral traits of pEDS in adults are severe CAL with shallow probing depths and marked gingival recession.

Periodontal Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (pEDS) is a monogenic type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome characterised by periodontal destruction at a young age. The study aimed to document the oral phenotype of pEDS. Thirty-five adult individuals with confirmed diagnosis of pEDS underwent a systematic oral assessment. Periodontitis stage 3 or 4 or edentulism due to periodontal destruction were diagnosed in 94%. First permanent tooth loss was reported at the age of 21.5 years. Deep periodontal pockets were infrequent, with 94% measuring <4 mm. There was increased clinical attachment loss (CAL) averaging 8 mm, and the probability of being edentate between the age of 35 and 44 years was 28-47%. Radiographic anomalous findings were found in a portion of subjects and consisted of fused roots of maxillary second molars, root hypoplasia, taurodontism and tooth rotation. These indications need to be paralleled by genetic analyses to diagnose pEDS unambiguously.