Tissue reactions following apical plugging of the root canal with dentin chips in monkey teeth subjected to pulpectomy.

The tissue reaction following apical plugging of the root canal with dentin chips in monkey teeth subjected to pulpectomy was studied. The reaction was characterized by formation of a cementum-like tissue onto the chips, often walling off the root canal as well as accessory and lateral canals. Twenty-two of twenty-four teeth were rated as successful 95 days after pulpectomy. In the control groups, in which apical plugging of the canal with dentin chips was not attempted, ten of twenty-one teeth were rated as successful at this observation time. In six of the ten successfully treated teeth in these groups a dentin chip plug had been made, although care had been taken to avoid this. It is suggested that a plug of dentin chips is well tolerated by the tissues and may present an effective barrier in the apical part of the root canal, facilitating the accomplishment of a well-condensed, tightly sealing root filling.