The Anatomy & Physiology of the Periodontium Flashcards
What are the 4 components of the Peridontium?
Cementum
Periodontal Ligament
Alveolar Bone
Gingiva
What are the type types of Histological sectioning that you will encounter?
Ground Sectioning
Decalcification
Cryomicrotomy
What is Ground section? give an example of a useful application to the process and a negative aspect.
Ground sectioning is used on non-decalicifed teeth. Useful for observing the hard tissue (enamel, dentin and cementum).
The teeth are literally ground down with a diamond saw/abrasive material.
The downside is that soft tissue is disrupted and can not be analysed.
What is decalcification? give an example of a useful application and a negative aspect.
Decalcification is the process of removing mineral from calcified tissue so that good quality paraffin sections can be prepared. It allows for the observation of soft tooth tissue such as the pulp and connective tissue.
Unfortunately you cannot see any of the calcified material (enamel etc).
What does the Periodontium do?
It supports the tooth in the jaw
Whats the cementum?
A pale yellow calcified tissue providing protective covering for the root surface to which the periodontal ligament fibres are secured.
What does the cementum adhere to?
It adheres to the roots dentine by a glue-like substance known as the hyaline layer.
It adheres to the periodontal ligament fibres. The embedded ends of the periodontal collagen fibres are called Sharpey’s fibres and are histologically different to the other collagen fibres.
How does the thinkness of the cementum vary along the tooth?
Cervically (the neck between the crown and root) it is only 10-15μm thick.
As you move apically (towards the apex) it is 50-200μm thick.
At the root apex it can be 600μm thick.
What is the risk to Cementum if a patient has gingivitis/periodontitis?
Apical migration of the attached gingiva can expose the cementum cervically causing it to be abrasively removed when brushing.
What are the two main types of Cementum?
Acellular (Primary) & Cellular (Secondary)
Whats the composition of Cementum?
65% inorganic hydroxyapatite, 23% organic collagen and 12% water
Does the Cementum have nerves?
No
What are the type types of Cementum?
Acellular (Primary) & Cellular (Secondary)
What are the main differences between Cementum subtypes and whats the significance of them both?
When the cementum 1st forms from the dental follicle it is acellular and covers the dental dentine.
Cellular cementum has a similar structure to bone with cementocytes embedded in a lacunae (small cavity) which have cytoplasmic processes linking each other via canaliculi (channels).
Is Cementum formation continuous throughout adulthood?
Yes. Cementum formation (cementogenesis) continues throughout life and is dependent upon the functional needs of the tooth and any tooth movement which may occur.
Can resorption of the cementum occur?
Yes. Resorption occurs in response to excessive occlusal stress or orthodontic loading.
Where is cellular cementum normally located?
It is located mainly in the apical area and intra-radicular areas of overlying acellular cementum.
It often covers apical 2/3 of the roots.
How is the Cementum attached to the Periodontal Ligament?
Collagen fibres in the periodontal ligament run into the organic matrix of the precementum. This precementum is unmineralised and thin; can also be called cementoid on Acellular extrinsic fibre cementum (AEFC).
When the precementum becomes mineralised it leads to the fibres being incorporated. Once this happens they are known as Sharpey’s fibres.
The is the Periodontal Ligament?
The periodontal ligament is a dense connection tissue layer enveloping the roots of teeth; occupying the space between the root (and cementum) and alveolar bone.
What are the 4 key functions of periodontal ligaments?
- Provision of the tissue attachment between the tooth and alveolar bone. This is responsible for tooth support and protection.
- Responsible for the mechanism by which the tooth attains and maintains its function position.
- Maintenance and repair of the cementum and alveolar bone.
- Neurological control of mastication by its mechanoreceptors.
What is the Periodontal ligament composed of?
- Fibres: Collagen (desmodontium) & Oxytalan
- Ground Substance
- Cells: Fibroblasts, cementoblasts, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, cementoclasts, epithelial cells
Which type of collagen is the most abundant in periodontal ligaments?
70% of the collagen is type I fibrils & 20% is type II. There are traces of IV and VII with the rests of malassez and blood vessels.