[Tubular sclerosis]

Tubular sclerosis is a pulp-dentin complex defensive response to several physiologic and pathologic stimuli; it leads to an increasing tubular obliteration which enormously reduces dentinal permeability. Its typical structural features are either increased peritubular dentin thickness or "caries crystals". Pathogenesis is a much debated question: some authors assert that peritubular dentin thickening is the main liable for sclerosis while others support a centrifugal theory. Another point of view considers its pathogenesis the result of many integrated mechanism.