Initial gingival tissue attachment to the deep cementum.

This study was performed in order to obtain fundamental knowledge regarding gingival connective tissue response to cementum. Gingival tissues of monkeys were elevated, and superficial cementum only was curetted. The time course of initial gingival tissue attachment was subsequently examined by conventional histology and also by electron microscopy. The first response was inflammatory exudate and fibrin attachment followed by granulation tissue formation. Cementoblasts were observed along the curetted cementum surface in the 10-day specimen. Mature collagen fibrils accumulated between the cementoblasts and the cementum surface in the 14-day specimen. We conclude that curetting the superficial cementum from root surfaces facilitates the formation of the fibrous connective tissue attachment.