PENETRATION OF SILVER NITRATE INTO DENTIN II

¹ Tufts College Dental School, Boston, Mass.

An investigation was undertaken to determine whether there is any association between the penetration of silver nitrate solution into dentin and the flow of a tissue fluid (dental lymph).

Degenerative changes in the dentin were produced experimentally by cavity preparation and fillings in dog and human teeth. Silver nitrate solution was applied to teeth which had undergone dentin degeneration, irregular dentin formation, and pulp injury. As a control silver nitrate solution was applied to dentin which had not undergone any visible changes, and to dentin of pulpless teeth. The penetration of the product of silver nitrate precipitation into degenerated dentin, through the so-called "calcific barrier" into irregular dentin, and into the pulp, was compared with the penetration into sound dentin and dentin of pulpless teeth. There were no appreciable differences. The findings were identical in both ground and decalcified sections.