This study was aimed at determining the permeability of the isotope
35S (Na
2 35SO
4 solution) into the dental root using teeth extracted due to periodontal disease. The teeth were subjected to three different pretreatments, i. e ., cleansing, root planing, and dentin exposure plus root planing. After immersing in
35S, the specimens were subjected to three different after treatments: no after treatment (pretreatment alone) ; mechanical cleansing with a robinson brush; and root planing. Each specimen was then observed for the permeability of
35S by light microscopy and autoradiography. The results obtained were as follows. 1. When the cementum was preserved on the root surface in pretreatment, the root surface subjected to mechanical brushing or root planing in after treatment showed a narrower zone of lower optical density in the autoradiogram than did the root surface subjected to no after treatment. This indicated that
35S was mainly attached to the root surface on which the cementum was preserved. 2. Autoradiography of the root surface subjected to mechanical brushing as an after treatment showed that
35S penetrated to a greater extent into the cellular cementum than into the acellular cementum. 3. When the dentin was exposed in pretreatment, the root surface subjected to root planing in after treatment showed a narrower zone of lower optical density in the autoradiogram than did the root surface subjected to mechanical brushing.
On the other hand, there was no marked difference between the root surface subjected to no after-treatment and that subjected to mechanical brushing. This indicated that
35S permeates through the dentinal tubules inside the dentin just under the root surface.
View full abstract