Dentin Flashcards
where is dentin located
- in crown and root of tooth
- make up bulk of tooth
- encloses and is intimately associated with tooth pulp
- not visible clinically in an intact tooth, unless attrition or abrasion removing enamel or cementum
what is the ectodermal origin
- from dental papilla - mesenchyme
is dentin living tissue
- odontoblasts and intercellular substance
- dentin production continues life of tooth
what is the elasticity like in dentin
- can flex better than enamel
what is the hardness of dentin like
- harder than bone; softer, less calcified than enamel
- less mineralized salts (hydroxyapatite crystals), more radiolucent in rad
what is the colour of dentin
- yellow in colour – clinical colour of tooth
what is the chemical composition of dentin
- 70% inorganic hydroxyapatite
- 30% organic and water - ground substance and collagen fibres and protein
what are 3 distinct microscopic areas of dentin
- dentinal tubule
- peritubular dentin
- intertubular dentin
what are dentinal tubules
- long tube running from DEJ to dentinocemento junction (walls of root) to the pulp
- may be branched at the DEJ end; tubules contain odontoblast process - from the odontoblast in the pulp
- straight - bottom 1/2 root and cusp area
- s-shaped - sides of tooth (smooth surfaces) and top 1/2 root
what is peritubular dentin
- hardest
- higher mineral content surrounding the dentinal tubules (outer portion of dentin tubules)
- peritubular dentin more calcified around tubule than intertubule
what is intertubular dentin
- 2nd hardest
- makes up bulk of dentinal material (between tubes holding them together)
how does dentin develop
- odontoblastic process (goes through the tubule)
- cytoplasmic extensions of the cell body
- remainder cytoplasm stretched out like thin nail into dentinal tubule
- plays role in pain sensation
- nerve terminals close to odontoblastic cell body and dentin tubules in prevention
- young teeth extend to DEJ - could be why children feel cavities faster and more intensely than adults
- older teeth - shorter
when and how does dentin begin developing
- starts at 5th embryonic development week
- begins from the DEJ or DCJ -> pulp
- begins release of ground substance -> odontoblasts
- cell walls (cytoplasm) remain attached to DEJ/DEC (unlike ameloblasts)
- minerals (HA) are also deposited into ground substance -> act cement
- minerals crystallize and harden dentin
- but dentin remain perforated by millions of holes - dentinal tubules
- odontoblast cell body (with nucleus) remains in pulp
- only odontoblastic process remains in mineralized tissue
what is the appearance of dentinal tubules
- straight lines -> cusp area, bottom 1/2 of root
- s-shaped curves -> smooth surfaces, top 1/2
what are the 3 types of dentin
- primary dentin
- secondary dentin
- tertiary dentin (two types: reparative dentin and sclerotic dentin)