What is dental pulp and what are its functions

Tooth pulp and its importance for dental health

A tooth consists of two parts: the root, which is located in the gum, and the crown, which rises above the gum. In order to protect the internal tissues of the tooth, and also for beauty, its surface is covered with enamel. Under the enamel there is an important tooth tissue that provides protection and strength - dentin. And under the dentin there is another very important life-supporting tissue of the tooth - the pulp. Thanks to it, our teeth receive nutrients, it «guards» the entrance to the root system, and it signals pain when something is wrong in the tooth area.

The pulp is a loose substance consisting of various cellular structures, connective elastin fibers, and collagen tissues. The outline of the pulp repeats the external shape of the tooth. The importance of the pulp for dental health is very great. The pulp contains blood vessels, nerve fibers, and various receptors. It completely fills the tooth cavity and ensures its vital activity by maintaining metabolic processes in the tissues.

Main functions of tooth pulp

Each organ, tissue, and vessel has its own essential functions aimed at performing certain actions. The important functions of the pulp are:

• Plastic - formation of dentin, the main tissue of the tooth;
• Sensory - due to the large number of nerve endings, the pulp conducts various nerve signals and nutrients;
• Protective - it creates a powerful biological barrier due to a variety of protective cells.

The formation of tooth pulp occurs during embryogenesis and initially takes the form of a tooth plate. At the time of tooth maturation and eruption, the tissues of the tooth grow: the pulp and dentin.

In the event of a carious process in the tooth cavity, the pulp stimulates the regeneration of replacement dentin. With age, the number of pulp cells decreases, collagen in the tissues changes its chemical composition, regression of nerve fibers increases, and their sensitivity decreases.

Unfortunately, although the pulp is protected by dentin and enamel, it is not invulnerable to infection. And once again, the culprits are pathogenic bacteria - microbes that penetrate the pulp through untreated caries or gingivitis.

The causative agents of pulpitis are various types of coccal bacteria. In the acute stage, pulpitis is characterized by swelling in the area of inflammation, tissue suppuration, and severe pain. If the health of the teeth and oral cavity is not taken care of in time, pulpitis turns into a prolonged chronic form with periods of exacerbation. Over time, pulpitis goes through three stages: a reversible process, an irreversible process, and necrosis of the pulp tissues.

To preserve the health and beauty of your teeth, be vigilant and consult a dentist at the very first symptoms of any dental disease.