Periodontal response to subgingival restorations in dogs with periodontitis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal response to subgingival restorations in dogs with naturally occurring periodontitis. At the baseline, the experimental teeth from three dogs (2nd and 3rd upper premolars and 2nd, 3rd and 4th lower premolars) were randomly assigned to Resin-modified Glass Ionomer Cement (RMGIC) and Amalgam (AM) restorations or controls (CT) at the buccal sites with (SUPRA+) or without mechanical supragingival plaque control (SUPRA) and maintained for 90 days. Clinical [Periodontal Probing Depth (PPD), Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL), and Gingival Margin Recession (GMR)], histological (connective tissue inflammatory and epithelium condition) and histometric evaluation (distance between the apical border of the cavity and the bone level and between the apical extension of the epithelium and the bone level) were performed by a calibrated blinded examiner. Better clinical (especially regarding CAL) and histological results (unaltered epithelium and less severe inflammatory connective tissue) were observed associated with RMGIC sites. Histometric evaluation showed less bone loss associated to RMGIC. Overall, SUPRA+ sites presented less inflammatory response. It could be concluded that in dogs with periodontitis, subgingival RMGIC restorations, especially in the presence of supragingival plaque control, elicited better periodontal response than AM restorations.