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1 - IOE - Dental Anatomy > Dental pulp > Flashcards

Dental pulp Flashcards

1
Q

What is the dental pulp

A

Soft connective tissue contained within the pulp chamber and the root canals of the tooth

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2
Q

Where is the coronal pulp found

A

Pulp chamber

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3
Q

Where is the radicular pulp found

A

Root canals of the tooth

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4
Q

What are the functions of the dental pulp

A
  • Involved in the production of primary and secondary dentine
  • Responsible for sensory function of the pulp-dentine complex
  • Supplies essential nutrients for dentine formation
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5
Q

What are the 4 zones of the dental pulp

A
  • Odontoblast Layer
  • Cell free zone of Weil
  • Cell rich zone
  • Deep pulp cavity
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6
Q

Describe the odontoblast layer

A

Comprised of a single layer of cell

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7
Q

What can be found in the cell free zone of weil

A
  • Fibroblast process
  • Odontoblast process
  • Nerve axons
  • Capillaries
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8
Q

Describe the cell-rich zone

A
  • High cell density
  • High concentration of capillaries and axons
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9
Q

How much water and organic material is present, by %

A

Water - 75%
Organic material - 25%

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10
Q

How does the overall collagen content differ with age

A

As age increases, the overall collagen content in the pulp increases

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11
Q

What is the fibrous component of the dental pulp a combination of

A

Collagen Type I and Collagen Type III grouped into fibres, thinly and irregularly scattered into tissue

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12
Q

What are Glycosaminoglycans?
What do they do within the pulp?

A
  • Unbranched polysaccharide chains
  • Hydrophilic so when in combination with water, they give the pulp its unique gel-like properties
  • This means it can swell, fill most of the extracellular space and stabilize the position of cellular components
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13
Q

Describe the role of fibroblasts

A
  • During tissue development, they produce extracellular fibres and ground substance
  • Ingest and degrade collagen
  • In the mature tooth, they slowly produce and turnover the extracellular matrix
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14
Q

Describe the role of odontoblasts

A
  • Form a single layer of cells attached to the predentine surface
  • Acts as a control barrier between dentine and the pulp
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15
Q

Where are the dental pulp stem cells found and what do they do

A
  • Found beneath the odontoblast layer & more centrally around blood vessels
  • Differentiate into odontoblasts, neurons…
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16
Q

Describe macrophages in the dental pulp

A

Involved in the elimination of dead cells

17
Q

Describe T lymphocytes in the dental pulp in terms of numbers

A

Present in small numbers, however this increases when pulp is injured or subjected to toxins

18
Q

Where are the antigen-presenting dendritic cells found and what do they do

A
  • Found beneath the odontoblast layer & around nerves and blood vessels
  • They’re bone marrow derived
  • Participate in immunosurveillance
  • Act as antigen-presenting cells
19
Q

What are the blood vessels within the dental pulp?
State where they’re located

A
  1. Arterioles and venules - enter pulp via apical foramina as components of neurovascular bundles
  2. Capillary network - Beneath the odontoblasts, is called the subodontoblastic capillary plexus
  3. Terminal capillary loops extend to lie between odontoblasts in the odontoblast layer or between odontoblasts and the predentine
  4. Arteriovenous anastomoses - between peripheral pulpal vessels to allow rapid changes in blood perfusion
20
Q

What are the 2 different types of nerve bundles?
What type of axons does each bundle contain

A
  • Sensory afferent nerves of the trigeminal nerve
  • Sympathetic efferent branches from the superior cervical ganglion
  • Myelinated and unmyelinated axons
21
Q

What do most myelinated axons terminate as

A

They terminate as free unmyelinated nerve endings, in an extensive plexus of nerves beneath the cell-rich zone

22
Q

How do a small number of unmyelinated nerve endings exit

A
  • They exit the plexus and travel up to and terminate around the odontoblasts.
  • A subset of these will continue into the dentinal tubules along with the odontoblast processes
23
Q

What are the 2 main types of sensory nerve fibres in the pulp

A
  • myelinated A-fibres
  • unmyelinated C-fibres
24
Q

Describe the myelinated A-fibres

A
  • Most terminate at the sub-odontoblast, odontoblast and predentine/dentinal tubules
  • Thought to be responsible for the rapid, sharp-pain sensation commonly associated with dentine hypersensitivity
25
Q

Describe the unmyelinated C-fibres

A
  • Most terminate in the sub-odontoblast region as free nerve endings
  • Involved in the conduction of slow, dull, throbbing pain associated with more significant pulpal inflammation
26
Q

What is the major role of trigeminal afferents

A

Controlling the local environment (pulpal homeostasis + its defense mechanisms)

27
Q

Where are the unsheathed nerve terminals found?
What are these terminals susceptible to?

A
  • Some dentinal tubules, at the pulp-predentine border and among the odontoblast cell-bodies
  • Susceptible to changes in the extracellular environment - may affect the membrane properties
28
Q

What are axons in an ideal position to do

A
  • Sense changes in fluid movement through dentinal tubules
  • Changes in extracellular fluid composition - are delayed in reaching the core of the pulp due to the barrier properties of the odontoblast layer
29
Q

What is activity in afferent terminals likely to cause

A

Likely to cause the release of neuropeptides by axon reflexes, but does not reach the level of sensation

30
Q

Where is the vasoactive contribution of the afferent nerves

A

At the peripheral pulp, and becomes significant when theres inflammation

31
Q

What is largely mediated by local nerves

A
  • Vascular changes seen in pulp inflammation following injury
  • These sensory fibres are sympathetic fibres
32
Q

What are the age-related changes in the pulp

A
  1. Reduction in the volume of pulp cavity and narrowing of root canals
  2. Increasing amount of translucent dentine
  3. Receding of pulp horns
  4. Degeneration of nerve axons
  5. Reduction in cellularity
  6. Reduction in stem cells
  7. Reduced vascularity and perfusion
  8. Increase in the amount of collagen fibres
  9. Increase in incidence of pulpal calcifications
33
Q

What are pulp stones?
How can they cause a problem?

A
  • Discrete calcified masses with a composition similar to dentine
  • Regarded as an age-related change rather than pathological
  • Can hinder access to root canal orifices

1 - IOE - Dental Anatomy (13 decks)

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