A histological evaluation of bone tissue response to a sealer based on calcium hydroxide - An experimental study

Abstract

Introduction/Objective The success of endodontic treatment depends on the effective removal of root content, the elimination of infection, and the hermetical sealing of the root system using a compatible material. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the tissue response to the implant of endodontic material based on calcium hydroxide into the bone in the artificially prepared defect in a rat mandible.

Methods The research was carried out on 40 Wistar rats. The artificial defect was made between the midline and the mental foramen on the left side of the mandible. The prepared defect was left to heal spontaneously in animals of the control group, while among the animals of the experimental group the sealer Apexit (Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Lichtenstein) was implanted into the experimental defect. The tissue samples consisting of the experimental field and the surrounding bone were microscopically analyzed with a light microscope.

Results During the initial phase, 15 days after the implantation, signs of chronic inflammation were noted and expansion of the Volkmann’s and Haversian canals. On the 30th day after the implantation, osteosynthetic activity and filling with newly-formed bone were noted. Changes were also noted in cement lines in the wider region of the experimental defect. Sixty days following the implantation, the bone was gradually remodeled. Ninety days after the implantation, a restitutio ad integrum was noted.

Conclusion Apexit does not lead to any disruptions in normal reparation processes nor in morpho-functional relations in bone tissue during the remodeling phase.

Keywords: endodontic sealers; calcium hydroxide; bone; healing