HISTOPATHOLOGY OF THE DENTAL PULP OF DOGS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE

¹ Department of Histology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, N. Y.

A histological report describing pulp changes observed in fourteen dog teeth following exposure intervals of seven through forty-seven days is reported. The pulp tissues show gradations of inflammatory response ranging from acute to chronic which are characterized by necrosis, abscess formation, vascular response with exudation, and granulation tissue formation proceeding to complete fibrosis. The most striking change was the presence of osteo-dentinlike formations surrounding spicules of dentin introduced into the pulp during the operative procedures. The question which is raised relative to the mechanism of this repair process is whether it is indicative of a foreign body tissue response, or whether it is due to the transplant of viable tissue. This latter statement needs further investigation for clarification.