Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative coccobacillus that is a facultative anaerobe capable of growing in the presence or absence of oxygen. It is a small, non-spore forming bacterium that can be identified by its star-shaped or crossed cigar morphology when embedded in agar. A. actinomycetemcomitans has been strongly associated with localized juvenile periodontitis and can be detected in high numbers in lesions of the disease. Optimal treatment involves both surgical and antibiotic therapy to effectively reduce counts of A. actinomycetemcomitans at infected periodontal sites.