Surface coatings on dental cementum incident to periodontal disease. I. A scanning electron microscopic study.

Root surfaces of extracted human teeth with advanced periodontal disease were studied by the apically migrated junctional epithelium, the topography characteristic of uninvolved cementum was frequently masked by a surface coating. The thickness of the coating increased in a coronal direction where it often blended with calculus. The observations indicate that this surface coating may originate from the inflammatory exudate and corresponds to the dental cuticle. The findings also indicate that the coating may be mineralized and may contain exogenous substances. These observations illustrate a need for further study and reexamination of the rationale for removal of tooth substance during scaling and root planing.