A quantitative analysis of coconut water: a new storage media for avulsed teeth.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to use a Collagenase-Dispase assay to investigate the potential of a new storage media, coconut water, in maintaining viable periodontal ligament (PDL) cells on simulated avulsed teeth.


METHODS
Fifty freshly extracted human teeth were divided into 3 experimental groups and 2 control groups. The positive and negative controls corresponded to 0 minutes and an 8-hour dry time, respectively. The experimental teeth were stored dry for 30 minutes and then immersed in 1 of the 3 media: coconut water (CW), Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS), and milk. The teeth were then treated with Dispase grade II and Collagenase for 30 minutes. The number of viable PDL cells were counted with a hemocytometer and analyzed.


RESULTS
Statistical analysis demonstrated that CW kept significantly more PDL cells viable compared to either HBSS or milk.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the parameters of this study, it appears that CW may be better alternative to HBSS or milk in terms of maintaining PDL cell viability after avulsion and storage.
Gopikrishna
Velayutham
V
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Chennai, India. hi_gopikrishna@hotmail.com
Thomas
Toby
T
Kandaswamy
Deivanayagam
D
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002452:Cell Count; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003059:Cocos; D017364:Collagenases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D006801:Humans; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D008892:Milk; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014084:Tooth Avulsion; D014867:Water
C072670:Hanks Balanced Salt Solution; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D014867:Water; D010450:Endopeptidases; D017364:Collagenases; C023139:dispase