RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of oral submucosal tissue to serve as a temporary storage medium for the maintenance of periodontal ligament (PDL) cell viability of avulsed teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty cats were divided into five groups. After extraction of three teeth in each cat, one tooth was put in the depth of cat's oral submucosal tissue and the other two teeth were put in Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) and tap water. The teeth were removed after 8, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h from their mediums and sent for laboratory processing and counting of vital periodontal cells. RESULTS: Statistical analysis demonstrated that submucosal tissue kept PDL cells viable as good as HBSS. CONCLUSION: This animal study showed that the efficacy of oral submucosal tissue in maintaining the viability of human PDL cells is similar to that of HBSS.
