Vascular pathways within pulpal tissue of human primary teeth.

The vascular distribution within pulps of human primary teeth has not been as well studied as those within human permanent teeth. Such information is useful to those who diagnose and treat dental conditions in children. The purpose of this study was to determine the architecture of the vascular structures, in contrast to the histological appearances, of noncarious human primary teeth during root completion, root resorption and dental caries attack. Following extraction, primary teeth were perfused with an opaque injection mass and photographed to trace the courses of the arterioles, venules and capillaries within the crowns and roots. The architectural morphology of similar vascular structures in permanent pulps are included to provide a comparative reference. Arterioles entered the apical foramina and traveled throughout the root canal(s) to the pulpal chamber, giving off branches which passed toward the dentinal walls. Within the pulpal chamber, the arterioles passed toward the occlusal and proximal surfaces and arborized profusely to form a subodontoblastic plexus of capillaries. The capillaries lead to larger diameter venules, which exited the pulp through apical foramina. Many unusual vascular pathways existed within the root structure. No communication existed between the pulp chamber and periodontal membrane through the furcation dentin and cementum. Many lateral canals were seen along the root structures.