Pulp cavities
Dental pulp functions
● Nutrititive …….transportation of nutrients into dentin and moisturize
● Sensory ……..pain sensation
● Formative……formation of dentin
● defensive/reparative …..formation of reparative dentin in response to
irritation
Changes of pulp with aging
● Less cellular and more fibrotic with increased collagen
● Less volume pulp + less vascular
● Continued dentin deposition leading to sclerosis
● Narrowing and more calcification
● Constriction and deviation of apical foramen
● Fat deposits
Dental pulp histology
● The central region of both coronal and radicular pulp contains nerves +
blood vessels
● The peripheral region contains
○ Odontoblastic layer
○ Cell free zone of weil
○ Cell rich zone
, Odontoblastic layer ● Lines the outer pulpal wall
(OUTER) ● Consist of cell bodies of odontoblast
● Secondary dentin forms in this area from apposition of
odontoblasts
Cell free zone ● Fewer cells than odontoblastic layer
● Nerve + capillary plexus are located here
Cell rich zone ● Increased density of cells compared to cell free zone
● More extensive vascular system
● Cells as fibroblasts and undifferentiated mesenchymal cells
Pulpal core ( central region ) ● Located at center of pulp chamber
(INNER) ● Many cells + extensive vascular supply
● Similar to cell rich zone
Coronal pulp
● Coronal pulp in young individuals resembles the outer portion of crown
dentin
● It has 6 surfaces :- occlusal , mesial , distal , buccal , lingual and floor
● Pulp horns are protrusions that extend into the cusp of each crown
● No of cusp = no of pulp horns
● Cervical region of pulp is constricted
❖Roof :- dentin covering the chamber occlusally
❖Pulp horn :- projection of the roof under a cusp or developmental groove
❖Floor :- consist of dentin parallel to the roof
❖Canal orifice
❖Apical foramen
Radicular pulp and root canals
● Extends from the canal orifice to the apical foramen
● The apical foramen is an aperture near or at the apex of the root through
which nerves + blood vessels of the pulp enter or leave the pulp cavity
● The shape of the root canal varies with size, shape, curvature and the
number of roots in different teeth
Dental pulp functions
● Nutrititive …….transportation of nutrients into dentin and moisturize
● Sensory ……..pain sensation
● Formative……formation of dentin
● defensive/reparative …..formation of reparative dentin in response to
irritation
Changes of pulp with aging
● Less cellular and more fibrotic with increased collagen
● Less volume pulp + less vascular
● Continued dentin deposition leading to sclerosis
● Narrowing and more calcification
● Constriction and deviation of apical foramen
● Fat deposits
Dental pulp histology
● The central region of both coronal and radicular pulp contains nerves +
blood vessels
● The peripheral region contains
○ Odontoblastic layer
○ Cell free zone of weil
○ Cell rich zone
, Odontoblastic layer ● Lines the outer pulpal wall
(OUTER) ● Consist of cell bodies of odontoblast
● Secondary dentin forms in this area from apposition of
odontoblasts
Cell free zone ● Fewer cells than odontoblastic layer
● Nerve + capillary plexus are located here
Cell rich zone ● Increased density of cells compared to cell free zone
● More extensive vascular system
● Cells as fibroblasts and undifferentiated mesenchymal cells
Pulpal core ( central region ) ● Located at center of pulp chamber
(INNER) ● Many cells + extensive vascular supply
● Similar to cell rich zone
Coronal pulp
● Coronal pulp in young individuals resembles the outer portion of crown
dentin
● It has 6 surfaces :- occlusal , mesial , distal , buccal , lingual and floor
● Pulp horns are protrusions that extend into the cusp of each crown
● No of cusp = no of pulp horns
● Cervical region of pulp is constricted
❖Roof :- dentin covering the chamber occlusally
❖Pulp horn :- projection of the roof under a cusp or developmental groove
❖Floor :- consist of dentin parallel to the roof
❖Canal orifice
❖Apical foramen
Radicular pulp and root canals
● Extends from the canal orifice to the apical foramen
● The apical foramen is an aperture near or at the apex of the root through
which nerves + blood vessels of the pulp enter or leave the pulp cavity
● The shape of the root canal varies with size, shape, curvature and the
number of roots in different teeth
