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Evaluation of the effect of tooth vitality on regenerative outcomes in infrabony defects
1Department of Periodontology and Fixed Prostodontics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Background, Aims:
This investigation was designed to evaluate the null hypothesis of no differences in GTR outcomes in intrabony defects at vital and successfully root-canal-treated teeth.
Method:
208 consecutive patients with one intrabony defect each were enrolled. Based on tooth vitality, the treated population was divided at baseline into 2 groups: one with 41 non-vital teeth and the other with 167 vital teeth. The 2 groups were similar in terms of patient and defect characteristics.
Results:
A slight unbalance in terms of depth of the intrabony component was observed in the non-vital group compared to the vital group (6.9+/-2.1 mm versus 6.2+/-2.3 mm, p=0.08). All defects were treated with GTR therapy. At 1 year, the non-vital and the vital groups showed a clinical attachment level (CAL) gain of 4.9+/-2.2 mm and of 4.2+/-2 mm, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.03). To correct for the baseline unbalance in defect depth, data were expressed as a % of clinical attachment level gains with respect to the original intrabony depth of the defect. % CAL gains were 72.8+/-42.2% and 73+/-26.4% for vital and non-vital teeth, respectively: the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.48). Average residual pocket depths were 2.8+/-1 mm in the vital and 2.8+/-0.9 mm in the non-vital group. Tooth vitality was assessed at baseline, at 1-year and at follow-up (5.4+/-2.8 years after surgery): all teeth vital at baseline were still vital at follow-up with the exception of 2 teeth that received endodontic treatment for reconstructive reasons and for caries. At follow-up visit, the difference in CAL with respect to 1-year measurements was -0.9+/-0.8 mm in the vital group and -0.7+/-0.8 mm in the non-vital group, indicating stability of the regenerated attachment at the majority of sites.
Conclusions:
Data from this study demonstrate that root canal treatment does not negatively affect the healing response of deep intrabony defects treated with GTR therapy; furthermore GTR therapy in deep intrabony defects does not negatively influence tooth vitality.