Periodontal healing following guided tissue regeneration with citric acid and fibronectin application

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) with and without citric acid conditioning and autologous fibronectin application. The study subjects were four female beagle dogs with spontaneous periodontitis. The dogs were given thorough root debridement and 4 weeks later, mucoperiosteal flaps were raised on both sides of the mandible involving the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th premolar and 1st molar teeth. After debridement, notches were placed on the roots at the level of supporting bone. Citric acid (pH 1) was topically applied for 3 minutes on the exposed root surfaces of one side (experimental). The roots were irrigated with normal saline solution. Both the root surfaces and the inner surface of the flap were then bathed in autologous fibronectin in saline. Following this, Gore-Tex periodontal material was adapted to the roots of each tooth and sutured. The contralateral side, serving as control, was treated by surgery and application of Gore-Tex periodontal material only. All membranes were removed 1 month after surgery, and the dogs sacrificed at 3 months. Both mesio-distal and bucco-lingual microscopic histological sections were evaluated by descriptive histology, and linear measurements and surface area determination of the furcal tissues were made. Periodontal healing following the use of GTR procedure resulted in an increase in connective tissue and alveolar bone regeneration. Adjunctive critic acid plus autologous fibronectin produced slightly better results, but these differences were not statistically significant for this sample.