Cell and fiber attachment to demineralized dentin. A comparison between normal and periodontitis-affected root surfaces.

The purpose of the present study was to compare and contrast cellular, connective tissue, and epithelial responses to dentin specimens derived from the roots of either normal or periodontitis-affected human teeth after surface demineralization. Rectangular dentin specimens, with opposite faces of root and pulpal dentin, were derived from beneath root surfaces covered by periodontal ligament (normal) or calculus-covered areas of periodontitis-affected teeth. In each of the groups, the specimens were treated with citric acid (pH 1 for 3 min), whereupon they were implanted transcutaneously into incisional wounds on the dorsal surface of rats with one end of the implant protruding through the skin. 4 specimens were available in each group at 10 days after implantation. Histologic and histometric analyses of the root surfaces of the implants included counts of adhering cells, evaluation of connective tissue fiber relationships, and assessment of epithelial migration. New connective tissue attachment with inhibition of epithelial migration occurred in both groups. Cementum formation was not present. Comparisons between the groups showed no significant differences regarding length of implant surface adjacent to connective tissue, number of attached cells, or density and diameter of attached fibers. The fiber attachment system which had developed on these demineralized surfaces seemed intrinsic to the connective tissue location, and differed morphologically from corresponding fibers attaching the root surface in a normal periodontium. It was concluded that there were no observable differences between the new connective tissue attachment systems which developed on demineralized dentin from either normal or periodontitis-affected root surfaces.