[Biocompatibility studies of periodontal dressings]

Periodontal packs have to be considered medications due to their direct contact to the gums and wound surfaces. For this reason a high cell biological compatibility has to be considered as one of their most important properties. For this reason, the cytotoxicity of all periodontal packs commonly used in Germany was examined, using the "Erlangen Ciliate Test". This method, which is commonly used to determine the cytotoxic and cytostatic properties of a wide variety of different materials and substances, is based on liquid cultures of the eucaryotic organism "Tetrahymena piriformis", using an excellent correlation with mammalian or human tissue cultures as well as the LD50. A significant toxicity of up to 50% could be shown in all but one periodontal pack. In addition, the antibacterial properties of the same materials were examined, using liquid cultures of Staphylococcus aureus and hemolyzing streptococci group A. However, using this method, no significant antibacterial effects could be shown.