Cultivation of fibroblasts on human teeth. Ultrastructural observations of cells cultivated in multilayers

The periodontal ligament in a traumatically lost tooth is often destroyed due to drying. In attempts to restore the periodontal ligament, a technique has been worked out for using gingival biopsies as an alternative cell source. A biopsy from the attached gingiva was set up for tissue cultivation. After the establishment of a pure fibroblast culture, cells were repeatedly added to the root surfaces of 12 human teeth from which the cells and the original periodontal ligament had been removed. The teeth were examined in the transmission electron microscope. The root surface of specimens from all 12 teeth was covered with a pelliclelike material arranged in a layered pattern. The cells frequently appeared in multilayers on top of the pellicle. The cells were flattened and appeared elongated in sections. Areas of close proximity between cells and the pellicular material were seen and were interpreted as adherence junctions. The possibility that these multicellular arrangements can replace the periodontal ligament in transplantation has to be further investigated.