DEFINITION : The pulp is a delicate mesenchymal connective tissue that occupies the pulp cavity in the central part of tooth. The normal pulp is pink, coherent soft tissue is noted, dependent on its normal hard dentin for protection. Dentin and pulp are embryologically, histologically, and functionally the same tissue and therefore are considered as a complex. Both dentin and pulp have a common origin from the dental papilla
It is surrounded by dentin on all sides except at the apical foramen and accessory pulp canal which open with periodontal soft tissue Every one has a total of 52 pulp organs, 32 in the permanent and 20 in the primary teeth
Dentin
Pulp
Functions of the Pulp: 1- Inductive: the role of the pup anlage is to induce oral epithelial differentiation into dental lamina and enamel organ formation and induces the developing enamel organ to become a particular type of tooth 2- Formative: the pulp involve in the support, maintenance and continued formation of dentin 3- Nutritive : Blood supply for pulp and dentin through blood vessels and odontoblastic processes and maintain vitality of tooth. 4- Sensory: the sensory nerves in the pulp respond with pain to all stimuli like heat, cold , pressure etc.. 5- Defensive: it respond to irritation like mechanical, thermal, bacterial or chemical and it protects itself and the vitality of the tooth by producing reparative dentin(tertiary) and mineralizing any affected dentinal tubule
Anatomy of Pulp
Pulp horns or cornua
1- Pulp Chamber or coronal pulp, located in the crown of the tooth. 2- Root canal or radicular pulp, is the portion of the pulp located in the root area. 3- The apical foramen is the opening from the pulp at the apex of the tooth.
4 - Accessory canals