Optimal storage media for avulsed teeth: an in vitro study

Abstract

Background: Tooth avulsion can be replanted to the alveolar bone if appropriate preserved. This study aimed to evaluate the viability of periodontal ligament cells in several storage media at different time after the tooth leaves the alveolar bone. Method: 46 teeth premolars and third molars were divided into 4 storage media (DMEM, milk, physiologic saline, sports drink) and randomly for 4 period (30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 24 hours). The root surface was scraped to collect periodontal ligament cells. Cells were stained with 0.4% Trypan blue solution and observed by a Neubauer chamber under inverted microscope. Comparison of the percentage of cells viability between the study groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test, complemented by the Scheffé test (α = 5%). Results: At 30 min, all 4 media gave high cell survival rate (over 95%) (p > 0.05). At 1 hour, the cell survival rate in DMEM, milk, and sports drink was higher than physiologic saline (p < 0.05) while at 2 hours and 24 hours, DMEM and milk have a higher percentage of viable cells (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Milk is a favorable storage medium for the viability of periodontal ligament cells, sports drink shows that it can completely replace milk when the tooth storage time is not more than 1 hour. Key words: periodontal ligament, storage media, tooth avulsion