ABSTRACT
Periodontal bone loss in 126 individuals between 9 and 20 years of age was screened radiographically by means of 2 standarized interproximal bite-wings radiographs. This group was selected from a population of 1253 young people according to the criteria of "having one or more probing pocket depths equal or higher than 4 mm". "Bone loss" was measured when the distance from the CEJ to the alveolar crest was greater than 2 mm per cent of this sample had bone loss, being more prevalent in females (34.3%) than in men (18.75%). Vertical defects predominated in the mesial aspect of mandibular first molars. Only one individual had radiographic features typical of localized juvenile periodontitis, representing 0.7% of the selected sample and 0.007% of the population studied.