Effects of Advancing Periodontitis on the Dental Pulp

Abstract

The present investigation was to examine whether pathologic changes in the dental pulp may be induced by advancing perodontitis or not.
Thirteen periodontally diseased teeth as experimental group and 5 teeth with clinically healthy periodontium as contol group were used in this study. The extracted teeth were pre-fixed, demineralized, post-fixed and embedded in Epon 812. The serial transverse sections of 1μm thickness prepared were stained with toluidine blue and obseved for microscopic findings.
The results were as follows;
1) Of 13 experimental teeth, the histologically healthy pulp in 6 teeth, the hyperemia in 2 teeth, the inflammatory change in one tooth, chronic pulpitis in one tooth and necrosis in 3 teeth were found.
2) The pulp of periodontally advanced teeth with deep pocket in 10mm and 100% bone loss showed the pathological lesions in many cases.
3) Bacterial invasion into the pulp via apical foramen would cause a pulp necrosis.