[Development of plaque-induced gingival pockets in an animal experiment]

Single teeth and resected jaw specimens including periodontal tissue were prepared as saw-cut thin-ground specimens without previous decalcification. The specimens were classified into 4 stages of pathogenesis to allow studies into the mechanisms of gingival pocket formation. Examination of the preparations under the light microscope indicated that the pathologic gingival pockets caused by microbial plaque might be formed by degenerative alterations in the second or third innermost cell layer of the junctional epithelium. The intercellular contacts were dissolved and, thus, cyst-like cavities were formed within the epithelium. The contact between tooth enamel/cementum--basal membrane--epithelial cells, however, was maintained. Artifacts could be ruled out by comparing preparations of single teeth with those of entire jaw segments.