[Frontiers in Bioscience 6, a33-40, December 1, 2001]

A COMPARISON OF THE SUPRA-ALVEOLAR PULP SIZE OF IMPEDED AND UNIMPEDED MANDIBULAR RAT INCISORS USING MICRO-COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

Lee Chun Kei, Law Kwok Tung, King Nigel Martyn, Rabie Abou-Bakr Mahmoud

Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, 34, Hospital Road, Hong Kong SAR.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Materials and methods
3.1. Operative procedure
3.2. Micro-computed tomography
3.3. Measurements of dentine widths and pulp volume
4. Results
4.1. Measurements of dentine width
4.2. Supra-alveolar level of the incisor
4.3. Volume of the pulp
5. Discussion
6. Acknowledgements
7. References

1. ABSTRACT

The pulp space is almost totally obliterated in the incisal end of a mandibular rat incisor. Repeated shortening of the incisor has been shown to increase the pulp space below the alveolar bone level; however, little is known about that above the alveolar bone level. This study investigated the changes in the pulp space superior to the bone level after rendering the incisor unimpeded for a period of three weeks. A desktop micro-computed tomography scanning unit, which is non-invasive, non-destructive, accurate, less technique sensitive and less time consuming than conventional methods, was used to calculate the volume of the pulp space. The results showed that the pulp size increased 140% at a level 3mm below the alveolar bone margin and more than 700% at a level 2.5mm above the alveolar bone. Moreover, the bone level of the unimpeded incisor was found to move incisally 0.4-0.5mm; while deposition of dentine on the mesial and distal aspects of the pulp space were affected differently to that on the buccal and lingual sides.