Ultrasonic techniques to obtain dental pulp from impacted third molars

Area of Science:

• Oral Surgery
• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Dentistry

Background:

• Impacted third molars frequently require extraction, presenting challenges for delicate oral tissues.
• Piezosurgery offers an advantageous technique for precise bone and tooth sectioning in oral surgery.
• Discarded extracted teeth are a valuable source of living tissue for regenerative applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare diamond-coated (DT) versus titanium nitride-coated (TN) piezoelectric tips for cross-sectioning impacted upper third molars.
• To evaluate the impact of different tips on dental pulp cell viability.
• To assess the surface characteristics of sectioned teeth using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Main Methods:

• Twenty-four impacted upper third molars from 15 patients were cross-sectioned at the amelocemental junction using piezosurgery with DT or TN inserts.
• Pulp tissue was mechanically and enzymatically treated, and cell viability was assessed using the Trypan Blue test.
• Sectioned surfaces were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• Pulp tissue viability was high (84.71%) and not significantly affected by patient sex or tooth position.
• Both TN (85.21%) and DT (84.00%) inserts resulted in comparable pulp tissue viability.
• SEM analysis revealed smooth, uniform surfaces with the TN insert, contrasting with irregular, porous surfaces with fissures from the DT insert.

Conclusions:

• Piezosurgery with both DT and TN inserts effectively cross-sections impacted third molars while preserving high pulp tissue viability.
• The choice of insert influences section surface characteristics but not the preservation of viable pulp tissue.
• The preserved pulp tissue is suitable for further cellular developments in regenerative dentistry.