A procedure using stem cells may provide a more thorough regeneration of periodontal tissue around dental implants, according to a new report published in the Journal of Oral Implantology. Dental implants closely resemble natural teeth, but an implant’s ability to react to patient growth, pressure from chewing, and future orthodontic work is diminished if it is not surrounded by sufficient periodontal tissue. In this study, the authors engineered this periodontal tissue in a fresh socket of a goat animal model. Each of 5 goats was fitted with 2 titanium implants immediately after tooth removal. A poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) scaffold was fitted around each implant, but the control received only the scaffolding. The experimental implant received scaffolding seeded with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). All implant sites showed some level of tissue development at 10 days after the operation. At one month after, the control side showed no signs of tissue development, whereas the experimental side had developed cementum, bone, and periodontal ligament, the 3 tissues required for regeneration of periodontal tissue. Past studies have dem-onstrated positive results with bone marrow-derived MSCs in periodontal defects around natural teeth. Others have shown promising results without bone marrow-derived MSCs, using progenitor cells from the remaining ligament in certain limited situations. But unlike past studies, this report demonstrates that using bone marrow-derived MSCs can ensure a more thorough, adaptable regeneration of periodontal tissue with titanium implants.
(Source: Journal of Oral Implantology news release, June 22, 2009, Allen Press)
