title: Cavity remaining dentin thickness and pulpal activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate pulpal injury by measuring odontoblast numbers, and pulp dentin repair activity by measuring reactionary dentin area, in relation to the remaining dentin thickness (RDT) of cavity preparations in 217 human teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cavities were restored with adhesive bonded composite, resin-modified glass-ionomer cement, zinc oxide-eugenol or calcium hydroxide materials. The teeth were extracted for orthodontic reasons between 20-381 days post-operatively, and odontoblast numbers and reactionary dentin area were analyzed histomorphometrically, and statistically using ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reactionary dentin deposition was observed beneath cavities with a RDT above 0.5 mm as well as beneath cavities with a RDT below 0.25 mm; however maximal reactionary dentin appeared to be beneath cavities with an a RDT between 0.5-0.25 mm (P= 0.0001). The area of reactionary repair was also influenced by the choice of restoration material (P= 0.0385) from greatest to least; calcium hydroxide, composite, resin-modified glass-ionomer cement and zinc oxide-eugenol. Odontoblast numbers were maintained beneath cavities with a RDT above 0.25 mm, cavities placed closer to the pulp appeared to injure underlying odontoblasts, reducing their numbers (P= 0.0001). The choice of cavity restoration material also influenced the survival of underlying odontoblasts (P= 0.0061).
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis 46202, USA. petmurra@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Imad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: About
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lumley
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Franquin
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remusat
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000134:Acid Etching, Dental; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002452:Cell Count; D002470:Cell Survival; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D003737:Dental Cavity Preparation / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000502:physiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology*; D003809:Dentin, Secondary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D017220:Dentin-Bonding Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D019279:Resin Cements / Q000737:chemistry; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D017220:Dentin-Bonding Agents; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D019279:Resin Cements; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide