Histological technique suitable to microscopic analysis of tissues of permanent teeth

Abstract

The choice of the fixative, the time of fixation, the decalcification technique ant the solutions used are important factors in order to obtain a preparation appropriate for diverse light microscopy analyses. The objective of the present study was to identify the most adequate histological technique for recently extracted  permanent teeth by varying the decalcification solutions. For this purpose, 8 third molars were fixed in 10% formalin for 7 days and then decalcified. Four of these teeth were decalcified in 4% nitric acid solution (Group I), for 27 days. The other four teeth were decalcified in a solution containing equal parts of 20% sodium citrate and 30% formic acid (Group II), for 42 days. The specimens were embedded in parafinn in the horizontal position, cut into 5 micrometers thick sections with a microtome, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Gomori’s trichrome. The histological sections obtained were analyzed microscopically, selected and photomicrographed. The histological technique using 20% sodium citrate and 30% formic acid as decalcification solution provided the best results, preserving in a more satisfactory manner the crown-root tissues of the permanent teeth analyzed.