HISTOLOGIC OBSERVATIONS ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE BLOOD VESSELS OF CANINE AND HUMAN TOOTH PULP

¹ Department of Histology and Embryology, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Md.

The tooth pulps from incisors of dogs and bicuspids of human beings were studied histologically. In all cases, the veins and arteries seen in the mid-region of the pulps were greater in diameter than those observed in the apical and coronal extremities. The dimensions of these blood vessels were given. The diameters of the veins were generally greater than those of the arteries found in a comparable region. It was suggested that there may be a need for greater arterial circulation in regions where the arteries are greater in diameter than the corresponding veins and that a greater metabolic rate may exist. It was proposed that increased vascularity in the pulp is accomplished by the branching of the existing blood vessels and by an increase in vessel diameters.