Progression of periodontal tissue destruction at splinted/non-splinted teeth. An experimental study in the dog.

The aim of the present investigation was to study whether splinting, i.e., immobilisation of teeth, may interfere with the rate of periodontal tissue destruction that can be accomplished by ligature placement and plaque accumulation, 5, 1-year-old, beagle dogs were included in the experiment. The mandibular 2nd and 3rd premolars and the 1st molar on both sides of the mandible were extracted. 2 titanium implants were installed in the sites of 3P and 1M, i.e., in the right quadrant of the mandible. 3 months later, abutment connection was performed and a fixed, gold splint, connecting the tooth and the implants, was inserted. The non-resilient splint was cemented in place on Day 0 and 4P was hereby immobilized. In each dog, the contralateral fourth premolar (P4) served as the non-splinted control tooth. Experimental periodontal tissue breakdown was initiated by placing cotton floss ligatures around the neck of 4P and P4 and by allowing the animals to accumulate plaque and calculus. Once every month, new ligatures were placed at the level of the receding gingival margin. The experiment was terminated on Day 180. Radiographs of 4P and P4 were obtained and biopsies sampled. The results of the measurements, made in the radiographs and the histological sections, disclosed that the splinting of the experimental teeth, failed to prevent or retard apical downgrowth of plaque and associated attachment loss. It was concluded that increased tooth mobility, within the limits of the present experiment, obviously did not establish conditions which favoured an enhanced destruction of the periodontal tissues in the beagle dog model.