Osteoconduction capacity of human deciduous and permanent teeth ash in a rat calvarial bone defect model.

The aim of this study was to confirm the osteoconduction capacities and determine the potential of permanent teeth ash (PTA), and deciduous teeth ash (DTA) as bone substitutes. Rats (n = 71) were divided randomly into four groups: sham, micro macroporous biphasic calcium phosphate (MBCP), PTA, and DTA. A sample of the each group was transplanted into preformed 8-mm calvarial defects (one per rat). The density of new bone was calculated and the crystallinities of the PTA and DTA were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The degree of new bone formation was high in the MBCP and DTA groups but low in the PTA groups. The DTA was highly crystalline, whereas the PTA was not. The percentages of β-tricalcium phosphate in the DTA and PTA were 10.7 and 3.7%, respectively. DTA has a high osteoconduction capacity, suggesting that it is a useful bone substitute.