By- Dr.

Saakshi Singhal
• Pulp- Introduction
CONTENT
• Zones of Pulp

 Odontoblastic zone

 Life cycyle of odontoblast

 Cell free zone of Weil

 Cell rich zone

 Ground substance

 Fibers

 Cells

 Pulp Core

• Nerve supply of the pulp

• Functions of the pulp

• Age changes of the pulp

• Clinical Considerations
 Pulp

Dental Pulp

– Vascular connective tissue

which occupies the centre
of the tooth

– Derived from the dental

papilla
•The space occupied
by the pulp organ -
“Pulp Space”

Coronal
•
Pulp
Radicular
• Total volume of the pulp in all permanent teeth is o.38cc

• Narrow pulp canals in anterior teeth

Volume : 0.012 cc

• Molar teeth the volume is greater

0.053 cc
Zones of Pulp:

 Odontoblastic Zone

 Cell free Zone of Weil

 Cell rich zone

 Pulp core
 ODONTOBLASTIC ZONE
• Most distinctive zone of the pulp
• Number of odontoblasts - 59,000- 76,000
mm2
• Columnar in the coronal portion (50µm)
• Cuboidal in the radicular portion
 LIFE CYCLE - Odontoblast

• Secretory or synthetic phase

• Transitional Phase

• Resting Phase
 Secretory or synthetic phase

• Nucleus is basally situated

• Abundant chromatin
• Many nucleoli-at least four
• Synthetic organelles are
numerous
Contd….

• Membrane bound granules

resembling lysosomes

• Numerous filaments & microtubules

• Prominent Vesicles

• Many rough endoplasmic reticulum

• Golgi complex
 Transitional stage
• Nucleus is displaced from
its basal position

• Chromatin is condensed

• Decrease in the amount

of cytoplasmic organelles
 Contd…..

• Amount of rough endoplasmic

reticulum is decreased & is around the
nucleus

• Autophagic vacuoles are responsible

for reorganization of the cytoplasm
 Resting stage

• Odontoblast is smaller

• Nucleus shifts apically

• Clusters of cytoplasmic
organelles in the
infranuclear region
Contd….

• Large lipid filled vacuoles are present

in the supranuclear region

• Secretory granules are absent

• Tubular and filamentous structures are

present in the cytoplasm
 CELL FREE ZONE OF WEIL

• Space for odontoblasts to move during

Dentinogenesis

• Subodontoblastic vascular plexus

• Plexus of Raschkow
 CELL RICH ZONE
– Intercellular ground substance

– Fibers

– Cells
 GROUND SUBSTANCE
• Intercellular ground substance
– Glycosaminoglycans
– Hyaluronic acid
– Chondrotin Sulphate

• Functions
– Supports the cells of the pulp
– Medium for transportation of nutrients
 FIBERS
• Collagen fibers
– Type I & Type III Collagen fibers

• Elastic Fibers
– These fibers are seen in the walls of the blood
vessels
 CELLS
– Fibroblasts

– Undifferentiated mescenhymal cells

– Defence cells
• Macrophages
• Plasma cells
• Dendritic cells
 Fibroblasts

• Synthetic phase:
– Open phase nucleus
– Numerous cytoplasmic organelles
– Appear as Stellate shaped cells with
cytoplasmic extensions

• Later when their function diminishes

they become spindle shaped
 Undifferentiated mesenchymal cell

• Represent the cell pool from which the

connective tissue cells of the pulp are
derived
• Present throughout the cell rich zone

• Usually present close to small capillaries

& arterioles
 Contd…

• They are large polyhedral cells

• Centrally placed nucleus

• Abundant cytoplasmic organelles

 Defence cells

• Macrophage
– Seen in the perivascular area

– Dark staining nucleus

– Granular cytoplasm

– Involved in the removal of dead tissue

• Plasma cells
– Nucleus is small & concentric
– Pushed to the periphery of the cell
– Chromatin is adherent to nuclear
membrane
– This results in a cartwheel appearence
• Dendritic cells:
– Derived from the bone marrow
– Seen beneath the odontoblastic layer
– Present in erupted & nonerupted teeth
– Close relationship with vascular & neural
elements
– Function : similar to that of Langerhan’s cells
– HLA-DR positive dendritic cells
 Pulp core
• Portion of pulp where blood vessels & nerves
enter into the pulp
VASCULARITY OF PULP:

Arteries enter pulp through apical foramen

150 µ in diameter
Subodontoblastic capillary plexus
“ Fenestrated Capillaries”
 Sub odontoblastic vascular Vasculature of the pulp
plexus
Arteriovenous anastomoses in the “ Fenestrated Capillaries”
pulp
NERVE SUPPLY OF THE PULP

• Myelinated
• Non Myelinated
fibres
• “Plexus of
Raschkow”
• “Marginal Plexus”
 FUNCTIONS OF THE PULP

1. Inductive

2. Formative

3. Nutrition

4. Protective

5. Reparative
Inductive

• Induces :

– Oral epithelium to differentiate into the

dental lamina & enamel organ

– Enamel organ to become a particular type

of tooth
Formative

• Odontoblasts:
responsible for
formation of dentin Active odontoblasts forming dentin

• Form organic matrix

of dentin & help in its
calcification
Nutrition
– Nourishes the dentin through odontoblast &
their process

Protective
– Responds to any environmental stimuli as
pain sensation
Reparative
 Formation of Reparative dentin

 Sclerotic dentin

 Inflammation of pulp during cavity

preparation
How do odontoblasts form reparative dentin
without the influence of epithelium?

• Odontoblast
differentiate

• Cell divides with

its mitotic spindles
perpendicular to
the basement
membrane
• One cell
differentiates
into an
odontoblasts

• The other cell

persists as a
subodontoblast
cell
AGE CHANGES OF THE PULP
1. Fibrosis

2. Reduction in the size of pulp chamber

3. Decrease in the number of cells

4. Reduction in sensitivity

5. Pulp stones
 Fibrosis

• Distribution of collagen fibrils is altered

Result

• Appearance of collagen fiber bundles

 Reduction in the size of the pulp chamber

• Due to continues deposition of dentin

• Decrease in volume of pulp chamber &
pulp canal

• In old teeth root canal is a thin channel

 Decrease in the number of cells

• There is a gradual reduction in the number of

cells in the pulp

• By the age of 70, the number of cells is

decreased by about half
 Reduction in sensitivity

• Loss & degeneration of myelinated &

unmyelinated axons
 PULP STONES

• They are Calcified masses

• Calcium & phosphorus ratio similar to
dentin
• Single or multiple
• Any tooth
 Types of pulp stones

• True pulp stones (Denticles)

• False Pulp stones

– Free pulp stones
– Attached pulp stones
– Embedded pulp stones

• Diffuse calcification
 Signifiance of pulp stones
• Commonly seen at the orifice of pulp chamber
or within the root canal

• Reduce the number of cells in the pulp

chamber

• Impede debridement & enlargement of the

root canal
CLINICAL CONSIDERATION

• Anatomy of pulp
– In young patients pulp chamber is larger & pulp
horns are at a higher level
– Number & shape of the pulp canals
– Presence of pulp stone
– Shape of the apical foramen