The purpose of this study was to verify the usefulness of MTT analysis as a tool of measurement of the periodontal ligament cell viability from the extracted rat molar.

A total of 80 Sprague-Dawley white female rat of 4 week-old with a body weight of 100 grams were used. The maxillary left and right, first and second molars were extracted under Ketamine anesthesia. Twenty-four teeth of each group (divided as five groups depending upon the time-lapse after extraction such as immediate, 10, 20, 40 and 60 minutes) were immersed in 200 µl of MTT solution (0.5 mg/ml) and processed for optical density measurements . Another 10 teeth of each group were treated as same as above and sectioned at 10 µm for microscopic examination.

All measurements values were divided by the value of hematoxylin-eosin staining which represented the volume of each corresponding samples. Immediate and 10 minute groups showed highest MTT values followed by 20, 40, and 60 minutes consecutively. Statistical significance (p < 0.05) existed between all groups except in immediate versus 10 minute groups and 40 versus 60 minutes. Histological findings also showed similar findings with MTT results in crystal shape and crystal numbers between the experimental groups.

These data indicate that in vivo MTT analysis may be of value for evaluation of the periodontal ligament cell viability without time- consuming cell culturing processes.