The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of penetration of endotoxin into the tooth structure of extracted periodontally healthy and diseased teeth that were immersed in E. coli endotoxin at various concentrations for 2 to 12 weeks. Initially, the extracted teeth were washed, scaled and divided into 2 groups of 16 teeth each. Autoradiographic and immunofluorescence methods were used to detect the presence of endotoxin in association with the tooth surface. The autoradiographic exam allowed for semi-quantitative study of the depth of endotoxin penetration by creating facets on the root at various depths after endotoxin exposure. This technique was used to investigate the strength of endotoxin binding to the tooth surface by brushing for 1 minute and reexamining the tooth for the presence of endotoxin. Controls included periodontally diseases and healthy teeth. The results of the study indicated that E. coli endotoxin can adhere to cementum, dentin and to a lesser extent to enamel of both periodontally healthy and diseases teeth. There was no indication that the adsorbed endotoxin penetrated into the deeper layers of the tooth structures and the binding of the endotoxin that did occur appeared to be weak.
Back: Cementum Articles Menu: Literature Review Topics Home: PIC Homepage