The pulpal response to citric acid in cats.
Citric acid conditioning of dentine has been proposed as an efficacious treatment for promoting re-attachment after periodontal surgery. This study investigated the pulpal reactions to periodontal surgery combined with citric acid (pH 1) demineralization of exposed dentine for 3 min. 9 cats were used as the experimental animals, with each cat providing 1 negative and 1 positive control and 2 experimental canine teeth. Evaluation was over 3 observation periods, with 3 cats in each period being sacrificed at 4, 21 and 83 days. Positive control teeth, which underwent periodontal surgery combining the removal of approximately 3 mm2 of labial bone and vigorous root planning of the exposed root surfaces, displayed mild to moderate pulpal reactions during the short- and intermediate-term periods and only mild to no reactions in the long-term period. The addition of citric acid demineralization, however, resulted in 5 experimental teeth (28%) becoming abscessed or totally necrotic in the intermediate- and long-term periods. At 21 days, the frequency of adverse pulpal responses to surgery and citric acid conditioning was significantly (p less than 0.05) greater than to surgery alone. Although 4 experimental teeth were relatively uninflamed at the long-term period of observation, all showed irritational dentine formation. Penetration of exposed dentinal tubules by plaque bacteria was observed only in the citric acid treated teeth.
D000134:Acid Etching, Dental / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002415:Cats; D002951:Citrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019343:Citric Acid; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012534:Dental Scaling; D003804:Dentin / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D003809:Dentin, Secondary / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010519:Periodontium / Q000601:surgery*; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000473:pathology; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000601:surgery
D002951:Citrates; D019343:Citric Acid