Abstract
Microradiographic works of the cervical acellular cementum in the condition of periodontal disease were carried out in comparison with their histopathological observations. Forty-five teeth removed from individuals aged 31 to 70 years, who were heavy and slight calculus formers and had been diagnosed clinically as chronic marginal periodontitis, were selected and very few cases of this condition were also investigated by electron microscopy. The non-exposed acellular cervical cementum of several teeth with healthy supporting tissue served as controls.
The normal cervical acellular cementum with healthy periodontium showed microradiographically the radially oriented, radiolucent structures which could be interpreted as embedded periodontal fibers.
On the decalcified sections finely lamellated tissue, characterized by numerous incremental lines running parallel to the root surface was demonstrated. Surface areas of hypermineralization of the cervical acellular cementum, exposed in the oral cavity because of severe periodontal disease, were notably found on micro radiograms and this X-ray dense zone appeared as only a very fine irregular electron dense granules on electron micrograph. The increase of mineralization of this superficial layer of the exposed cervical cementum suggests a penetration of mineral from the surface. Simultaneously, the matrix of such cementum showed necrobiotic changes as a result of the loss of their functional connection to the periodontium and this fact may also play an important role for the alterations of the exposed acellular cervical cementum.
