FIG. 3.

Periodontal progenitor-driven new attachment of denuded teeth after 8 weeks of implantation in a tooth molar socket. Vertical columns: (a, d, g) WT controls; (b, e, h) replanted mPDLP-treated molars; and (c, f, i) replanted molars that were not treated with progenitor cells before replantation. Horizontal rows: (a–c) oral micrographs of rat upper right molar tooth rows; (d–f) overview histological preparations documenting the root surface/ligament interface of an entire upper first molar tooth root; and (g–i) detailed histological micrographs of the root surface/PDL/alveolar bone interface in all three groups. (b, e, h) Complete anatomical and histological integration of denuded and then mPDLP-treated rat first molars after 8 weeks of reimplantation. Reimplanted rat molars that were not subjected to progenitor cell reattachment were either lost, partially exfoliated (c), or partially resorbed (f, i). Our replantation approach resulted in the progenitor-based periodontal tissue engineering of the entire periodontium of a first maxillary molar (j, k). (j, k) Ultrathin ground sections in which the periodontium was stained with fuchsin. (j) The background outside of the fixed tooth organ was digitally removed and no other alterations were applied to the micrograph. Individual tissues are labeled for orientation. de, dentin; cem, cementum; pdl, periodontal ligament; ab, alveolar bone; res, resorption site; rt, root; m₁, first maxillary rat molar. WT, wild type.