Formation of Dental Hard Tissues and Periodontal Ligament Around Titanium Implants After Tooth-Bud Injury: A Pilot Study

This pilot study was done to evaluate the potential of the different cells of the forming tooth bud to induce formation of dental hard tissues and periodontal ligament around titanium implants. Deciduous premolar teeth were extracted in a 3/-month-old Landrace pig 1 month before implant placement. Four implants were placed in a pig's mandible near the tooth buds. A wide artificial bone defect was created around one of the implants; all implants were covered with Gore-Tex membranes. After 3 months, the animal was sacrificed, and the implants were retrieved and studied with the cutting-grinding system. Histologic analysis showed that all implants were covered by a mineralized tissue with a histologic appearance similar to cementum and separated from the bone by a periodontal-like space filled by collagen fibers. Keywords: cementum, periodontal ligament, titanium implants