The permeability of cat dentine in vivo and in vitro

The apparent impermeability of dentinal tubules to chemicals applied to exposed dentine in vivo was investigated. It was shown that whereas Evans' blue diffused readily into dentine in extracted teeth, it did not do so in visible amounts when it was applied in vivo. In the in vitro experiments, decreasing the pressure of the Evans' blue solution to 20 cmH2O below atmospheric apparently prevented the dye entering the tubules, while increasing the pressure of the solution to 15 cmH2O or more above atmospheric in vivo resulted in the dye penetrating the dentine in high concentrations. It is concluded that, in cat dentine in vivo, there is an outward flow of fluid through exposed dentinal tubules, and that this flow is sufficient to substantially reduce diffusion into the tubules of chemicals such as Evans' blue.