Thirty patients were recruited having met the following inclusion criteria of (1) good general health, (2) good periodontal health, (3) caries-free, (4) good oral hygiene. The subjects were divided into 3 groups based on a radiographic assessment on the level of root resorption; normal (no root resorption), mild (less than 2 mm), and severe (more than 2 mm). The GCF samples were taken from the permanent central incisors of untreated subjects in the normal control group (n=14), while in the mild group, samples were collected from the permanent central incisors with mild root resorption (<2 mm) in patients undergoing active orthodontic treatment after 6 months with radiographic evidence (mild group, n=5). Child patients with severe root resorption (>2 mm) were those with primary second molars undergoing physiological root resorption (severe group, n=11). The GCF samples were collected from the mesial and the distal gingival crevicular sulcus of the involved teeth using gingival fluid collection strips (Periopaper, Oraflow, Smithtown, N.Y.). The paper strips were placed within the sulcus (intrasulcular method) approximately 1 to 2 mm into the gingival sulcus and left in situ for 60 seconds. Every sample collection was taken 3 times at the same site with one-minute resting intervals to allow GCF to be replenished into the gingival sulcus.
This study was conducted after obtaining approval from UKM Research Ethics Committee. Gingival Crevicular Fluid (GCF) from Orthodontic and non-orthodontic patients was collected with the consent of patients to detect Dentine sialophosphoprotein. Spectrometry analysis of Gingival Crevicular Fluid was conducted in collaboration with MIMOS Berhad.