OBJETIVE: The aim of this study was to review the literature regarding the relationship between systemic conditions and the occurrence of periodontal diseases among children and adolescents, and to highlight the most common periodontal alterations. DATA SOURCE: Indexed articles published in the last 20 years on the following databases were searched: Medline, Lilacs, and the archives of the Brazilian Bibliography of Dentistry, in addition to classic references. Keywords included "periodontal disease", "periodontitis", "systemic diseases", "child", and "adolescent". DATA SYNTHESIS: Systemic diseases such as hypophosphatasis, histiocytosis X; Down, Papillon-Lefèvre, Ehlers-Danlos and Chédiak-Higashi syndromes, as well as leukemia, Aids, quantitative and qualitative neutrophilic deficiencies are associated with severe periodontal alterations among children and adolescents. Several studies demonstrated the occurrence of periodontitis, which can lead to early tooth loss among children and adolescents diagnosed with systemic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of periodontal alterations is observed in children and adolescents with systemic diseases. There are several manifestations, ranging from gingival inflammations to more destructive patterns, such as periodontitis and early teeth losses.
periodontitis; gingival diseases; child; adolescent