Abstract

The purpose of this study was to obtain information on the morphologic changes that occur in cellular cementum exposed to periapical inflammation.

Ten single rooted human teeth were collected. There were five specimens of normal cellular cementum and five specimens of diseased cellular cementum, which had been exposed to periapical inflammation. Each specimen was fractured longitudinally through the apical foramen, leaving the organic component intact. The cross-sectional morphology of cellular cementum was then examined using an ARM Model 1000 scanning electron microscope. Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry was also conducted on samples representative of the two test groups.

A methodology was developed to compare the morphology of normal versus diseased fractured cellular cementum. Using this methodology, the diseased cellular cementum was found to be more calcified than normal cementum. Along with a higher Ca/P ratio, the diseased cementum exhibited more calcified projections, cementum lacunae, and less matrix fibers. Applying the Mann-Whitney test, the surface differences in regards to calcified projections and matrix fibers were shown to be statistically significant at alpha = 0.05. Resorption was also a common finding in all the diseased specimens.

The most dramatic difference was the presence of an interrupted layer or "band," seen in all the diseased teeth. This "band" had a lower Ca/P ratio than the underlying diseased cementum and appears to be a pathologic entity, the significance of which is unknown.

Department

Dentistry

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

James H. Simon

Second Advisor

Leif K. Bakland

Third Advisor

Jan Egelberg

Fourth Advisor

Grenith J. Zimmerman

Fifth Advisor

William T. Jarvis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1980

Date (Title Page)

6-1980

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Dental Cementum; Periapical Periodontitis

Type

Thesis

Page Count

viii; 80

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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