Anatomy and Histology of the periodontium Flashcards
What is the periodontum made up of?
Cementum
PDL
Alveolar bone
Gingiva
What is the cementum?
Thin layer of calcified tissue covering radicular dentine • Cervically, it is 10-15µm in thickness • Apically, it is 50-200µm thick • Could exceed 600µm at root apex • Adheres to dentine and to the periodontal ligament
What are the characteristics of the cementum?
Capable of repair and regeneration.
• Formed throughout life, allowing reattachment of the periodontal ligament.
• Similar to bone in composition, but not
innervated and avascular.
• Cementum is pale yellow and has a dull surface.
• Easily abraded cervically
What are the classification of the cementum?
Cellular and Acellular
Cellular cementum contains cementocytes.
• Acellular cementum covers the dentine.
• Cellular cementum mainly in the apical area and
inter-radicular areas overlying acellular cementum
How do the PDL and the cementum interact?
Fibres in the periodontal ligament run into the organic matrix of the precementum • Mineralisation of the precementum leads to the incorporation of these fibres • They are known as Sharpey’s fibres
What is the PDL?
Dense fibrous connective tissue that occupies the space between the root and the alveolar bone • Continuous with the gingival connective tissue and the pulp • Variation in width; location, function and age • Narrower in permanent teeth
What are the functions of the PDL?
Provision of the tissue attachment between
the tooth and alveolar bone. Thus is responsible of tooth support and protection
2. Responsibility for the mechanism by which
the tooth attains and maintains its functional
position
3. Maintenance and repair of cementum and
alveolar bone
4. Neurological control of mastication by its
mechanoreceptors
What are the components of the PDL?
Fibres: collagen, oxytalan 2. Ground substance 3. Cells: fibroblasts, cementoblasts, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, cementoclasts, epithelial cells
What type of collagen is present in the PDL?
70% type I, 20% type III.
• Small amounts of types V and VI
• Traces of IV and VII with the rests of malassez
and blood vessels
• Type XII collagen: non fibrous, , linked to other
collagens and may be involved in the
periodontal ligament’s architecture regulation
• Much of the collagen is gathered into bundles
(the principal fibres) 5μm in diameter
What are the fibres called in the PDL
Principal fibres
Name the 5 different orientation of the principle fibres?
1. Dentoalveolar crest fibres. 2. Horizontal fibres. 3. Oblique fibres. 4. Apical fibres. 5. Interradicular fibres
What is the zone of shear?
Site of remodelling during
eruption
What are the Sharpey’s fibres?
The collagen fibres
inserted into cementum and bone
What is Oxytalan?
Oxytalan fibrils are
unbanded arranged
parallel to the long axis of
the fibre.
Immature elastin fibres (pre-elastin) • 3% of fibre composition • Attached to cementum and leave to the ligament in different directions • Rarely incorporated in bone • Different course according to region • Terminate around blood vessels and nerves • Fibres are 0.5μm-2.5μm in diameter
What is the composition of ground substance?
Mainly secreted by fibroblasts: • Hyaluronate glycosaminoglycans • Proteoglycans: • Proteodermatan sulphate • PG1 (contains hybrids of chondroitin sulphate and dermatan sulphate) • Glycoproteins • Fibronectin • Tenascin
Name the cells of the PDL?
- Fibroblasts
- Cementoblasts.
- Osteoblasts
- Osteoclasts and cementoclasts.
- Epithelial cells
- Immune cells
What are fibroblasts and their functions?
Responsible for the regeneration of the periodontal ligament • Role in adaptive responses to mechanical loading • Shape variations • Many cytoplasmic processes • Low nuclear/cytoplasmic ration • Prominent nucleoli • Protein synthesizing organelles
Collagen degradation (fibroblasts are also fibroclastic) • Intracellular collagen profiles • Secretion of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors to metalloproteinases • Collagenase production is regulated by exposure of cytokines
What are cementoblasts?
They line the surface of the cementum