ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Tooth avulsion is the most severe type of traumatic dental injuries and it results in the complete displacement of the tooth out of its socket in alveolar bone. Reimplantation of the tooth is considered to be a best treatment modality due to its biological and psychological advantages. Its prognosis depends on the extra alveolar time, the storage medium, and the patient's general health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Capparis spinosa (C. spinosa) in maintaining the viability of human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells using a real-time cell analysis method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Periodontal ligament cells were obtained from healthy human third molars extracted for orthodontic purposes. The storage media tested were: Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), C. spinosa, Hank's Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS), and light milk. A real-time cell analyzer system was used to evaluate cell viability. After seeding cell suspensions into the wells of the E-plate 96, PDL cells were treated with each of tested media and monitored for every 5 min for 26 h. Statistical analysis of the data was accomplished using one-way analysis of variance complemented by the Tukey test. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (control) and C. spinosa groups had significantly higher cell index values compared with the HBSS and light milk (P < 0.05). Although, C. spinosa showed better results than DMEM (control), but this difference was not found statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Capparis spinosa can be a suitable, alternative storage medium for avulsed teeth.