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The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a regenerative surgical procedure, based on guided tissue regeneration, could predictably result in the formation of a new attachment in human teeth. The material included 12 teeth in 10 patients with advanced periodontal disease. Following flap elevation, scaling, root planing and removal of granulation tissue, a teflon membrane was placed over the denuded root surface in such a way that the epithelium and the gingival connective tissue were prevented from reaching contact with the root during healing. The flap was replaced on the outer surface of the membrane and secured with interdental sutures. This design of wound preparation gives preference to the cells originating from the periodontal ligament (PDL-cells) to repopulate the wound area adjacent to the root. Histologic analysis of the result of treatment was made in 5 of the 12 teeth scheduled for extraction. In the remaining 7 teeth, the result was evaluated using clinical measurements. The result of healing disclosed that in all teeth treated, substantial amounts of new attachment had formed. This suggests that predictable restitution of the attachment apparatus can be accomplished by using a method of treatment which is based on the principle of guided tissue regeneration.

The aim of the present study was to examine if new cementum and new attachment may form during healing of a wound prepared in such a way that preference is given to periodontal ligament cells to repopulate the wound area adjacent to a root which has been surgically deprived of its periodontal ligament and cementum layer. The maxillary lateral incisors and mandibular canines in three monkeys were used for experimentation. Following elevation of a mucoperiosteal flap, the buccal and approximal alveolar bone was removed within an area extending from the mid-root level to a level 2 mm apical to the marginal bone crest. Following bone removal, the root surfaces were curetted in order to remove the cementum layer. Notches were prepared in the roots to demarcate the denuded root portion. Prior to repositioning of the tissue flap a millipore filter was placed over the treated area in order to prevent the gingival connective tissue from coming into contact with the root surface during healing. The animals were sacrificed 6 months after surgery. The jaws were removed and histological sections of the experimental teeth and surrounding periodontal tissues were produced. New cementum with inserting collagen fibers was observed on the curetted root surfaces. However, this result of healing did not consistently occur along the entire length of the curetted root portion. In the coronal part of the wound, healing was frequently characterized by connective tissue adhesion to the root surface without signs of cementum formation and fibrous attachment. The results of the experiment suggest that the periodontal ligament cells possess the ability to reestablish connective tissue attachment.

The present study was designed to examine whether new attachment forms on root surfaces previously exposed to plaque by preventing the oral epithelium and the gingival connective tissue from participating in the process of healing following treatment. 4 roots in each of 3 monkeys were used as test units while the roots of contralateral teeth served as controls. A surgical procedure was first used to expose the coronal half of the buccal root surfaces. Plaque was allowed to accumulate on the exposed surfaces for a period of 6 months. Subsequently, soft tissue flaps were raised and the root surfaces were carefully scaled and planed. The crowns of the test and control teeth were resected and the mucosal flaps were repositioned and sutured in such a way that the roots were properly covered. Immediately prior to suturing, membranes (Millipore filter or Gore-tex membrane) were placed over the denuded root surfaces of the test teeth in order to prevent granulation tissue from the soft tissue flaps from reaching the roots during healing. The monkeys were sacrificed 3 months later. The jaws were removed and histological sections of test and control roots including their periodontal tissues were produced. New cementum with inserting collagen fibers was observed on the previously exposed surfaces of both test and control roots. However, the test surfaces exhibited considerably more new attachment than the control surfaces, indicating that the placement of the membrane favoured repopulation of the wound area adjacent to the roots by cells originating from the periodontal ligament.

No abstract