The
aim of this study was to compare the connective tissue and bacterial deposits
on rubber dam sheets and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membranes used
as barrier membranes in guided tissue regeneration for the periodontal treatment.
Twenty patients having intrabony defects and/or furcation defects were surgically
treated by guided tissue regeneration employing either rubber dam sheets
(10 patients) or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membranes (10 patients)
as barrier membranes. Four to six weeks after the first operation, membranes
were retrieved from the lesion sites and processed for the scanning electron
microscopy. The lesion-facing surfaces of membranes were examined for the
presence of connective tissue and bacterial deposits. The differences between
the numbers of fields and the distributions of connective tissue and bacteria
on both types of membranes were analyzed by the Chi-square test at the level
of 0.05 significance. The results showed a lot of fibroblasts with their
secreted extracellular matrices, known as components of the connective tissue
on rubber dam sheets and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membranes. There
was no significant difference in the total number of connective tissue on
both types of membranes (p=0.456). Many bacterial forms including cocci,
bacilli, filaments and spirochetes with the interbacterial matrices were
identified. The total number of bacteria on rubber dam sheets was statistically
less than that on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membranes (p<0.001).
The comparable number of connective tissue on both types of membranes suggests
that the healing process under both types of membranes was also comparable.
Therefore, the rubber dam sheet might be used as a barrier membrane in guided
tissue regeneration.