The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of citric acid and tetracycline HC1 application to the root surfaces of periodontally diseased teeth on the proliferation and spreading of human periodontal ligament cells. The roots were prepared so that the comparison could be made among root planed, citric acid treated and tetracycline HCl treated surfaces. In the cell proliferation experiment, human periodontal ligament cells at a concentration of 1X10' cells/ml were seeded in each culture well with specimens and incubated for 6 hours. Then, the specimens were transferred to a fresh culture well and incubated for 24, 48, 72 hours respectively. The cell counting was done after trypsinization. In the cell spreading experiment, 1X105 cells/ml were seeded in each culture well and incubated for 30min, 6 hours and 24 hours at 37.57℃ in a CO incubator. Then, all specimens were fixed with phosphate buffered glutaraldehydes, postfixed with phosphate buffered osmium tetraoxide, stained with phosphate buffered tannic acid, dehydrated in ethanol, dried at a critical point, coated with gold and examined under a scanning electron microscope. The results were as follows: In the cell proliferation experiments, the number of attached cells increased more in the tetracycline treated group than in the other groups. In the initial attachment, the appearance of the tetracycline treated the groups was slightly more spread out than in the other groups. After 6 hours of incubation, it was observed in most of the cells that cell morphologic alteration went from ovoid shapes sto spindle shapes. After 24 hours of incubation, the cells of all groups had a fusiform appearance and were connected to each other by numerous cytoplasmic processes. The tetracycline and citric acid treated groups had a similar spreading appearance of periodontal ligament cells, but the tetracycline treated group was more effective in the cell proliferation than the citric acid group.