Effects of citric acid and fibronectin and laminin application in treating periodontitis.

To determine the effect on new connective tissue attachment of citric acid conditioning and fibronectin-laminin application in treating naturally occurring periodontitis, all 4 quadrants in each of 2 Beagle dogs were used. Each quadrant included: P2, P3, P4, and M1 teeth. 2 treatment modalities were employed and comparatively analyzed for differences in histological healing respponses at 120 days after surgery. The treatments were: (1) surgery (mucoperiosteal flaps) plus citric acid; (2) surgery plus citric acid followed by fibronectin-laminin application. After scaling and root planing, coronal and root surface reference notches were placed for histometric measurements. Following each of the randomly assigned treatments, flaps were sutured. After sacrifice, tissue blocks of treated areas were decalcified and serially cut, obtaining bucco-lingual and mesiodistal sections. Using a Filar micrometer, 5 distances were masured on the buccal aspect: (1) from root surface notch to alveolar bone crest; (2) from root surface notch to coronal extent of the cementum; (3) from root surface notch to apical extent of the junctional epithelium; 84) from free gingival margin to apical extent of junctional epithelium; (5) from the coronal notch to the alveolar bone crest. Results showed no differences among the 5 measurements between the 2 treatments tested. On mesio-distal sections, surface area determinations were made in the furcations, evaluating the space occupied by new connective tissue, with or without bone, or by epithelium. For this, images were digitized using a Zeiss IBAS Image analysis system with a 4mB of array processor memory coupled to a Newvicon TV camera and a microcomputer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)