Effects of acid conditioning on periodontitis-affected root surfaces SEM analysis

OBJECTIVES: Root surface demineralization has been shown to promote the establishment of a new connective tissue attachment. The aim of this investigation was to study the surface topography of periodontally-affected human roots following application of G1- 24% EDTA gel; G2-35% phosphoric acid gel; G3- citric acid and G4-tetracycline after scaling and root planning; G5- teeth with a healthy-periodontium, were used to serve as the healthy control; G6- teeth of this group served as a diseased treated control in which sample teeth were only scaled and root planed prior to immediate extraction. METHODS: Thirty-six teeth that had a labial probing depth and clinical attachment loss of more than 7mm were used in this study. Periodontally-affected teeth were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=6). Teeth were scaled, root planed, and then conditioned with different solutions before immediate extraction. The samples were processed for SEM evaluation of the surface topography. The tubule diameters in dentin root surface were measured in 5 different regions. RESULTS: SEM evaluation of root planed surfaces in G6 revealed the typical appearance of smear layer; G6 showed that the calculus deposits. All acid solutions removed the smear layer and superficial smear plug, but phosphoric acid promoted more demineralization on the root surface and increased the tubules root-dentin diameters. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the capability of acid solutions used to remove root surface smear layer and to expose collagen matrix when they were applied after scaling and root planing. The phosphoric acid tends increase the tubule diameters.