Evaluation of Cellular Response to the Indigenously Fabricated Dental Magnet for Application in Prosthodontics- An Animal Study

Abstract

Introduction: Prosthetic constructions retained by magnets play an important role in the application of dental removable prosthesis and orofacial epithesis. One of the issues during the introduction of these magnets into clinical practice is that they may exert some negative impact on the surrounding tissues. Therefore, the effect of the indigenous dental magnets on the cellular changes needs to be qualitatively evaluated. Aim: To check the effect of indigenously fabricated dental magnets on the cellular changes in the dermis and epidermis of rabbits. Materials and Methods: A total of five New Zealand rabbits were selected from the animal house of SDM Medical College, Dharwad. A small sub cutaneous incision was made on the back region of the rabbit on right and left side with a no. 15 Bard Parker (BP) blade under phenobarbitone anaesthesia. The skin layers were slightly dissected under the incision creating a pouch. Bare magnet without casing (control) was embedded in the pouch on one side and the teflon encased magnet (test) on the other side. Sutures were placed and post-operative care was taken. The obtained tissues were paraffinized and sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The parameters assessed were thickness and keratinization of epidermis and arrangement of fibres and type of infalmatory cells in dermis. Data was subjected to statistical analysis. Mann-Whitney U test was performed. Results: Statistically significant difference was observed in keratinization at 28 days and was still observed after 3 months. There was no difference in dermal fibres arrangement or chronic inflammation at the end of three months between the two groups. Haematoxylin and eosin stained sections from control and test showed mild chronic inflammatory response at 28 days. Inflammation subsided in three months in the test sample, whereas focal aggregates of inflammation were evident in control sections. Persistence of inflammatory cell reaction in control samples indicates mild cell toxicity induced by the magnet. Conclusion: To conclude indigenously fabricated dental magnet did not show host inflammatory reaction in the animal study model over the control magnet.

Keywords

• biomedical device
• cytotoxicity
• inflammation