Stimulated osteoperiosteal pedicle grafts in dogs

This descriptive study compared the healing of mucoperiosteal and "stimulated" osteoperiosteal flaps for the treatment of surgically created periodontal recessions in dogs. Surgically created defects on the canine teeth of 10 healthy mongrel dogs were covered by specially designed, cemented copper bands for 4 weeks (Several maxillary premolar teeth were managed in the same way). A plaque and calculus-promoting diet was fed to the animals during this period. When the bands were removed the diet was altered and an intensive oral hygiene program was instituted. The contralateral tooth, chosen randomly, was utilized for placement of the mucoperiosteal lateral sliding flap and acted as the control. The experimental side was surgically stimulated 21 days prior to elevation of a "stimulated" osteoperiosteal flap for repositioning over the denuded roots. The animals were sacrificed with an overdose of Nembutal and block sections for histologic study were taken at periods ranging from 14 to 50 days. Histologic findings indicate that healing of the stimulated flaps was accompanied by the formation of a relatively short dentogingival epithelium, cementogenesis which varied in amount and type, and new connective fiber insertion into cementum. By contrast, the mucoperiosteal flaps healed with a long dentogingival epithelial relationship and no cementogenesis or connective tissue reattachment.