Studies on long-term maintenance of teeth and viable associated cells in vitro

– The present study describes techniques for maintaining teeth in vitro in which the cells surrounding the root are viable and able to multiply. Microbial contamination could be controlled by use of antibiotics. The material consisted of 20 extracted human teeth. Immediately after extraction the teeth were put in Eagle's medium and incubated at 37°C. Cells surrounding the root could be kept viable in a liquid medium or fixed in a semi-solid medium containing Eagle's + 1 % agar. Viable cells could be trypsinized from teeth after as long as one year in vitro and grown in glass culture bottles.