PERIODONTAL REPAIR AFTER REDUCTION OF INFLAMMATION

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between alveolar bone repair and level of connective tissue attachment after reduction of inflammation in an experimental marginal periodontitis. Perodontitis was induced by tying plaque retentive silk ligatures around the mandibular second and third bicuspids in four squirrel monkeys. Ten weeks later the ligatures were removed. An oral hygiene regime of mechanical claning was started and continued three times a week for ten weeks. Induction of perodontitis around the same teeth of the contralateral side (control) of the jaw was timed so that the interproximal perodontium corresponded to the situation immediately prior to ligature removal. The coronal interproximal perodontium between the bicuspids was histometrically analyzed for level of connective tissue attachment, location of crestal alveolar bone, percentage of infiltrated supracrestal connective tissue. Before reduction of inflammation, apporximately 70% of the supracrestal connective tissue was infiltrated After oral hygiend, the infiltrate was loclized adjacent to the epithlium and occupied 20% of the connective tissue. Although the supracrestal connective tissue became organized, there was no coronal gain of connective tissue attachemnt and long junctional epithlia were present. However, singnificant bone repair occurred which increased bone volume and reduced periodoantal ligament width. Mechanism of bone resorption and reapair in periodontitis are discussed. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved