Experimental study of periodontal tissue regeneration. Changes in the periodontium after tooth implantation with and without periodontal ligament.

The role of the periodontal ligament in periodontal tissue regeneration was evaluated. The materials included bilateral upper 1st premolars and lower 2nd, 3rd, and 4th premolars of 11 adult Beagle dogs, aged from 3 to 6 years. Before implantation, the right teeth were extracted and kept for a period of more than 3 months in "a solution for reserving teeth". The left teeth on the other hand, were extracted and soon implanted thus retaining the periodontal ligament into the newly created bone cavities prepared in the right edentulous areas. At the same time, the right reserved teeth were implanted into the left tooth sockets. Implanted teeth were periodically observed macroscopically, radiographically, and histologically for a 6-month period. Macroscopical observation showed good clinical repair in the bilateral sides of the tooth implantation with and without a periodontal ligament. After a 6-week experimental period, radiographic observations of the implanted lower right teeth having a periodontal ligament revealed lamina dura-like findings. Histopathological investigation revealed ankylosis and root resorption on the left side, where the reserved teeth without a periodontal ligament were implanted. But regeneration of the periodontal tissue complex, which consisted of the gingiva, alveolar bone, cementum, and periodontal ligament, was generally observed in the implanted right teeth having a periodontal ligament. These results suggest that the periodontal ligament cells play a significant role in periodontal tissue regeneration.