Radiographic and histological analysis of tooth eruption through calcium phosphate ceramics in the cat

The effect of implanting calcium phosphate ceramics (CPC) into metabolically active sites within kitten mandibles during permanent premolar tooth eruption was examined. Forty kittens, 3-4 months of age were used: the deciduous second and third mandibular premolars were extracted and their sockets implanted with autologous blood clot, autogenous cancellous marrow, and the calcium phosphate ceramics, non-porous beta-tricalcium phosphate or porous hydroxylapatite. Animals were killed at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 months after implantation and undermineralized sagittal sections were evaluated by light microscopy. Eighty percent of hydroxylapatite implanted mandibles showed delay in tooth eruption concurrent with distortion in crown development, and a dense cellular fibro-proliferative response within the follicle of unerupted teeth. This response occurred in only one specimen with tricalcium phosphate, whereas normal eruptive patterns and crown development were routinely noted. Both the tricalcium phosphate and hydroxylapatite were integrated into the surrounding alveolar bone without evidence of an inflammatory response. Thus hydroxylapatite initiated a dense cellular fibrous network within the dental follicle preventing formation of an eruptive pathway, delaying tooth eruption and causing crown deformation. This was rarely seen with tricalcium phosphate, and may be due to the resorbability of tricalcium phosphate when compared to hydroxylapatite. Hydroxylapatite should therefore be used with caution for implanting into areas containing unerupted teeth with a metabolically active dental follicle.