Vitality of periodontal ligament cells after storage of monkey teeth in milk or saliva.

Vitality of the periodontal ligament (PDL) is necessary for a successful healing after replantation of exarticulated teeth. In the present investigation newly extracted teeth from monkeys were stored in saline, milk or saliva for 1-3 h. Freeze sections were made and the vitality of the PDL was determined histochemically. Milk seemed to provide better storage conditions than saliva or saline.