Comparative Physicochemical Analysis of Pulp Stone and Dentin

Fleur Berès (1, 2) , Juliane Isaac (3, 4, 1) , Ludovic Mouton (5) , Stephan Rouzière (6) , Ariane Berdal (1, 3) , Stéphane Simon (1, 3, 7) , Arnaud Dessombz (1, 3)

1 CRC - Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers
2 UFR d’Odontologie
3 UFR d’Odontologie
4 Génétique Moléculaire de la Morphogénèse
5 ITODYS (UMR_7086) - Interfaces, Traitements, Organisation et Dynamique des Systèmes
6 LPS - Laboratoire de Physique des Solides
7 CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP]

Introduction Odontoblasts are responsible for the synthesis of dentin throughout the life of the tooth. Tooth pulp tissue may undergo a pathologic process of mineralization, resulting in formation of pulp stones. Although the prevalence of pulp stones in dental caries is significant, their development and histopathology are poorly understood, and their precise composition has never been established. The aim of the present study was to investigate the physicochemical properties of the mineralized tissues of teeth to elucidate the pathologic origin of pulp stones. Methods Areas of carious and healthy dentin of 8 decayed teeth intended for extraction were analyzed and compared. In addition, 6 pulp stones were recovered from 5 teeth requiring root canal treatment. The samples were embedded in resin, sectioned, and observed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction was performed to identify phases and crystallinity. X-ray fluorescence provided information on the elemental composition of the samples. Results Pulp stones showed heterogeneous structure and chemical composition. X-ray diffraction revealed partially carbonated apatite. X-ray fluorescence identified P, Ca, Cu, Zn, and Sr within dentin and pulp stones. Zn and Cu concentrations were higher in pulp stones and carious dentin compared with healthy dentin. Conclusions Pulpal cells produce unstructured apatitic mineralizations containing abnormally high Zn and Cu levels.

Domaines: Anatomie, Histologie, Anatomopathologie [q-bio.TO]

Fleur Berès, Juliane Isaac, Ludovic Mouton, Stephan Rouzière, Ariane Berdal, et al.. Comparative Physicochemical Analysis of Pulp Stone and Dentin. Journal of Endodontics, 2016, 42 (3), pp. 432-438. ⟨10.1016/j.joen.2015.11.007⟩. ⟨hal-01312900⟩