Effects of gray and white mineral trioxide aggregate on the proliferation of oral keratinocytes and cementoblasts.

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is used as a repair material and may directly contact cells from different cell lineages. The purpose of this study was to assess cell proliferation of immortalized Murine cementoblasts (OCCM.30) and immortalized keratinocytes (OKF6/TERT1) on gray MTA (GMTA) and white MTA (WMTA) with the DNA intercalating dye Hoechst 33342. Cells were grown for 72 hours on GMTA or WMTA that had been cured for 24 hours or 12 days. WMTA significantly (p < 0.001) increased the proliferation of OCCM.30 cementoblasts compared to control and OKF6/TERT1 keratinocytes. Both cell types grew significantly (p < 0.001) better on the surface of WMTA compared to GMTA. In addition, both cell types showed significantly (p < 0.005) higher proliferation when grown on 12-day-cured GMTA compared to 24-hour-cured GMTA.

Digital imaging analysis with mathematical morphology and fractal dimension for evaluation of periapical lesions following endodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To see if a method for digitizing trabecular pattern of bone could be used to quantitatively evaluate changes in bone pattern following endodontic treatment of teeth with periapical osteolytic lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Periapical radiographs were digitized and further processed with mathematical morphology operations known as skeletonization. The trabecular patterns resulting from this skeletonization process were further analyzed with fractal dimension analysis using box-counting. RESULTS: The periapical area in digitized radiographic images showed fractal behavior. Twenty-five of 27 patients showed increase of the fractal dimension after root canal treatment. Significant changes of the box-counting could be noted 3 months after root canal treatment (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Mathematical morphology operation and box-counting might be helpful in early detection of changes of periapical trabecular pattern after root canal treatment.