Connective tissue regeneration to periodontally diseased roots, planed and conditioned with citric acid and implanted into the oral mucosa.

This investigation used autogenous submucosal implants of root sections to study the connective tissue healing to periodontally diseased roots which had previously been planed and demineralized with citric acid. Eighteen implants were performed, with each being removed 2 to 24 weeks after implantation. The results showed new connective tissue attachment to the old cementum and to the dentin. After 18 weeks, in all specimens new cementum had formed on the dentin, with collagen fibers attached to it. No deposition of new cementum on the old cementum was noted. The formation of new cementum on roots placed in an environment without periodontal ligament cells might be ascribed to the inductive principle of demineralized dentin. The results suggest that a diseased root which has been planed and conditioned with citric acid is likely to form a new connective tissue attachment, even if it is placed in an environment without periodontal ligament cells. They also suggest that the factor inhibiting potential new connective tissue attachment is the condition of the root surface, rather than the lack of an adjacent progenitor cell population.