Periodontal response to two intracanal medicaments in replanted monkey incisors

Intracanal medicaments are recommended for use in replanted teeth to inhibi t inflammatory root resorption. This study compared the effect of calcium h ydroxide (Pulpdent (R)) and a corticosteroid-antibiotic paste (Ledermix (R) ) on periodontal healing and root resorption following replantation. Inciso rs of eight Macaca fascicularis monkeys were extracted, stored dry for 15 m in and replanted. After I I days, root canals in two adjacent maxillary inc isors were treated with one medicament and contralateral incisors with the other medicament, or left as untreated controls. Animals were sacrificed 8 weeks later and the teeth prepared for histomorphometric evaluation of peri odontal ligament inflammation and root resorption. Periodontal ligament inf lammation and inflammatory root resorption were markedly inhibited by both calcium hydroxide and corticosteroid-antibiotic relative to untreated contr ols. Replacement resorption was lowest in the corticosteroid-antibiotic gro up, and significantly (P <0.05) more normal periodontal ligament was presen t in this group (79.6%) than in calcium hydroxide and control groups (64.6% and 62.7%, respectively). Treatment with the corticosteroid-antibiotic inh ibited inflammatory resorption and was slightly more effective than calcium hydroxide in producing a periodontal healing response.