RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to study the surface topography of periodontally-affected human roots following EDTA gel application at different time periods with and without scaling and root planing. In addition, to assess any correlations between root surface changes following EDTA gel conditioning and periodontal ligament fibroblast adhesion. METHODS: Forty-eight 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 4 groups of 12 teeth in each. Furthermore, a sample group of 6 teeth, which had a healthy periodontium, were used to serve as the healthy control (G1). The second group (G2) served as a diseased treated control in which sample teeth were only scaled and root planed prior to immediate extraction. Teeth in the third group (G3) were conditioned with a pH neutral, 24% Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA gel), for 2 minutes without any scaling or root planing and immediately extracted. The teeth in the fourth group (G4) were scaled, root planed, and then conditioned with the EDTA gel preparation for 2 minutes before immediate extraction. Finally the teeth in the fifth group (G5) were conditioned with EDTA gel for 4 minutes following scaling and root planing and immediately extracted. Half the samples in each group were randomly selected and processed for SEM evaluation of the surface topography. The other half were prepared to assess PDL cell adhesion with PDL fibroblasts being cultured and seeded on the root surface for 24 hours then processed for SEM evaluation of the adherent cells. RESULTS: SEM evaluation of the root planed surfaces in G2 revealed the typical appearance of a smear layer. The root surfaces of all samples in G3 exhibited a uniform coating of calculus that was covered by a considerable amount of loosely attached material including residual plaque and debris. In G4 EDTA gel exposure for 2-minutes following scaling and root planing resulted in removal of the smear layer and a marked exposure of round to oval dentinal tubule orifices. Areas of bacterial accumulation were observed in 4 out of the 6 samples examined in this group. The root surfaces after the 4-minute EDTA gel application (G5) had a fibrillar texture associated with a marked decrease in the number and an increased diameter of the exposed dentinal tubule openings. With regard to PDL cell adhesion, the majority of the 2-minute EDTA gel conditioning on the non-instrumented samples in G3, showed a failure of cells to adhere to the diseased root surface. The examined samples in G4 showed a significant increase in the number of flat and round adherent cells when compared to the diseased control samples (G2) (P > or = 0.01). The G5 samples showed a significant increase in the number of flat cells when compared to G4 (P > or = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the capability of EDTA gel to remove a root surface associated smear layer and to expose a collagen matrix when it was applied after scaling and root planing. In addition, a positive correlation was found between time of EDTA gel conditioning and the degree of PDL cell adhesion. It appears from the present investigation that EDTA gel conditioning for 4 minutes provides the most desirable root surface to which maximum PDL cells can adhere and on which they can grow.