The influence of the morphological and chemical nature of dental surfaces on the migration, attachment, and orientation of human gingival fibroblasts in vitro

The influence of four different dental surfaces, demineralized dentine (DD) and cementum (DC), and nondemineralized dentine (ND) and cementum (NC), on the migration, attachment, and orientation of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) was tested in an in vitro system. The root surface of porcine teeth was planed using a curette. The cementum was removed from half of the teeth and the roots planed again. Slices of root ∼ 150 μm thick were obtained from the roots. Half of the root slices in each group were partly demineralized in 18% EDTA, pH 7.4. Pairs of root slices were added to each of 20 culture dishes containing 5‐day‐old confluent cultures of HGF. The attachment of HGF to the four types of attachment surfaces (DD, ND, DC, & NC) and the formation of oriented sheets of cells extending between the periphery of the slices and the bottom of the dish were assessed quantitatively after 1, 3, and 6 days of culture. In a second experiment, 12 cultures comprising demineralized and non‐demineralized root slices were examined at 1, 3, and 6 days using SEM. In a third experiment, cultures comprising DC slices were prepared as described and examined for 24 h by time lapse microscopy. It was found, first, that cells started to migrate and attach to the periphery of the slices immediately following the placement of slices. Cellular bridges extending between the attachment surface and the floor of the dish developed during the first 24 h of culture and gradually increased in number and in size throughout the experimental period. Second, partially‐demineralized surfaces were more effective in stimulating cell migration and attachment and cell orientation than were non‐demineralized surfaces, and demineralized dentine surface were more effective than were demineralized cementum surfaces in this regard. These results further elucidate previous findings regarding the enhancing effect of partial demineralization of dental surfaces on wound healing in vivo and suggest that demineralized dentine may provide the most effective dental surface in this respect.