Dental Pulp

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Introduction

Non-mineralised vascular tissue

Responsible for the formation of
dentine
Contained within pulp chamber and
root canal of the tooth.
Remains active through out life.

Organisation

Specialised connective tissue

Odontoblasts are at the periphery of
the tissue
Nerve terminals of the trigeminal
afferents and specialised antigen
presenting cells which detect external
stimuli and initiate a response to them

Organisation

Rest of the pulp serves to support.

Blood vessels and nerves enter and

leave the root canals through an
apical foramen at the root end.

Sections

Composition

Loose connective tissue, whereby it

is made of a combination of cells
embedded in an extracellular matrix
of fibres in a semi-fluid gel.

75% water, 25% organic material.

Composition

Fibrous Matrix

Non-Fibrous Matrix

Cells

Composition
Fibrous Matrix
Type I collagen is the principal fibrous component.

Scattered irregularly as thin fibrils which bundles as fibres

Alligned approx parallel to the predentine surface.

Type III collagen is also present in large amounts

Type V and VI are also present in small amounts.

The greatest collagen concentration is at the apical

portion.

Non Fibrous Matrix

Glycosaminoglycans(GAGs)
Proteoglycans
Fibronectin
Laminin

Cells

Odontoblasts
Fibroblasts
Defence Cells T lymphocytes,
macrophages, dendritic antigenpresenting cells.
Undifferentiated cells pluripotential,
primitive mesenchymal cells

Odontoblasts

Form a layer of lining on the periphery of the pulp and have

a process extending into the dentin.

At the coronal portion the cells are columnar, mid-portion is

cuboidal and apical is flattened.

Morphology of cells relates to its activity

Odontoblasts have processes which begins at the neck of

the cell body

Process does not have cell organelles but has microtubules

and filaments (terminal web)

Fibroblasts

The most common cell found in the pulp

Found more in the coronal portion of

pulp which forms the cell rich zone.

Function is to form and maintain the pulp

matrix (collagen & ground matrix)

Undifferentiated
Ectomesenchymal Cells

Represents the pool from which connective

tissue cells of the pulp are derived.

May give rise to odontoblasts and fibroblasts

Found in cell-rich area and pulp core

Diminishes with age

Macrophages

Centrally located in the pulp

Involved in elimination of dead cells

Lymphocytes
Presence of T lymphocytes

Dendritic Cells

Dendritic process extend between

odontoblasts.

Capture and present foreign antigen

to the T cells.

Non phagocytic

Functions

Nutrition
Sensory
Inductive
Defensive
Formative

Regions

In histological sections, 4 distinct zones

can be identified:

Odontoblastic zone located at the

periphery of the pulp adjacent to the
dentine.

Cell-free zone beneath the odontoblast

is a cell free zone also known as the
zone of Weils.

Cell-rich zone beneath the cell-free

zone is an area with a high cell density.

Pulp Core is the area where major

blood vessels and nerves are found.

Age Related Changes

Dental pulp gets smaller because of

secondary dentine deposition.
Older pulp is less vascular and more
fibrous
Innervation is reduced
Mineralises in the form of pulp stones

Dentine and Pulp

Closely related developmentally and

functionally.

Both tissues are derived from the neural

crest cells of the dental papilla

Pulp communicates to the oral cavity

via dentinal tubules

Theories of Dentine
Sensitivity
Direct Innervation
Dentine nerve terminals extend to the DEJ and
hence initiate an action potential directly.

Transduction
Odontoblast can transduce a mechanical
stimulus and transfer that signal to a closely
opposed nerve terminal.

Contd
Hydrodynamic Theory
Due to the fluid movement in the
dentinal tubules in response to
external stimuli, the nerve terminals
within the dentinal tubule and
odontoblast layer initiate an action
potential.
Rapid movement will cause pain.

The End!

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