EFFECT OF BISPHOSPHONATES AND GALLIUM ON DENTIN RESORPTION IN-VITRO

Replacement resorption may follow the replantation of an avulsed tooth . Currently there is no effective treatment for replacement resorption . The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bisphosph onates and gallium nitrate, which have been shown to reduce bone resor ption, on cells which resorb dentin. Osteoclast-like cells were obtain ed by culturing cells from prenatal chick tibeas. These cells were see ded onto slices of human dentin which had been soaked in either saline (control), or solutions of 10(-5) M 1-hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-bisphosp honic acid (EHBP), 10(-6) M dichloromethylene bisphosphonic acid (Cl(2 )MBP), or 10(-6) M gallium nitrate. Resorption was measured by countin g the number of resorptive lacunae produced by the cells. Results indi cated that the experimental groups did not differ significantly from e ach other, but each exhibited significantly reduced resorption compare d with saline controls (p<0.01). These results suggested that the expe rimental treatment reduced dentinal resorption by the osteoclast-like cells, and that these agents might be useful to prevent or at least po stpone replacement resorption in avulsed teeth.