Dental pulp regeneration aided by blood and blood substitutes after experimentally induced periapical infection

Abstract

This study was based on the hypothesis that if, after periapical infection, the pulp canal is opened maximally, then filled with whole blood and/or blood substitutes in contact with the periapical tissues, and dental pulp may regenerate. Results showed that regeneration or ingrowth of connective tissue into the root canals of these monkey teeth was not enhanced by blood and/or blood substitutes. The tissue ingrowth measured between 0.10 and 1.00 mm. and fell within this range regardless of the filling material, including those teeth left void. Overextension of the instrumentation of the root canals in this study caused widespread inflammation and, in some cases, cyst formation. The majority of the teeth developed root resorption which correlated with the presence of chronically inflamed granulation tissue. Of the teeth exhibiting root resorption, only incompletely developed cuspids showed any type of repair of the resorptive defect during the time period of this study. These cuspids, which had incomplete root formation, continued to deposit additional root length, or bridging by a calcified material was attempted, even after seven of these teeth required removal of the coronal seal in order to drain acute abscesses.