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Innervation of Human Tooth Pulp in Relation to Caries and Dentition Type

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 2TA, UK, h.d.rodd{at}sheffield.ac.uk

F.M. Boissonade

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 2TA, UK

The neural status of carious teeth, particularly those associated with a painful pulpitis, is largely unknown. This study sought to determine differences in the innervation density of human primary and permanent teeth and whether caries or painful pulpitis was associated with anatomical changes in pulpal innervation. Coronal pulps were removed from 120 primary and permanent molars with a known pain history. Teeth were categorized as intact, moderately carious, or grossly carious. Using indirect immunofluorescence, we labeled sections for the general neuronal marker, protein gene product 9.5. Using image analysis, we found permanent teeth to be significantly more densely innervated than primary teeth. While there was no significant correlation with reported pain experience, neural density in both dentitions increased significantly with caries. Analysis of these data suggests that caries-induced changes in neural density may be functionally more important in the regulation of pulpal inflammation and healing than in the processing and perception of dental pain.

Key Words: pulpal innervation • protein gene product 9.5 • pain • caries • primary dentition

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Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 80, No. 1, 389-393 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/00220345010800011601


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This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Rodd, H.D. Articles by Boissonade, F.M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rodd, H.D. Articles by Boissonade, F.M. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?