Electrical stimulation of osteogenesis in periodontal defects

Although the literature on bioelectrical phenomena is extensive, there is a paucity of research on its application in the field of dentistry. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of bioelectric phenomena on pathological osseous defects in the periodontium of Beagle dogs. Galvanic and thermocouple generators were designed to deliver a current in the nanoampere range. The galvanic unit implanted in the area of periodontal osseous defects in five dogs. These sites were randomly designated as experimental, active controls, and passive controls. The experimental and control units were implanted submucoperiosteally with the negative electrodes extending into the osseous defects. The bone was labeled with Procion Red H-8Bs at one week. Clinical and radiographic evaluation revealed no significant changes in the depth of the defects. The animals were sacrificed at 45 days and block sections were prepared. Histological measurement suggested that endosteal apposition was enhanced in all experimental sites as compared to controls. The results were discussed in relation to magnitude of current used, the influence of pathological bone, the potential of each type of experimental unit for clinical use, and the direction of further research in the area.