[An experimental study on dental pulp histology after the inferior alveolar nerve damage and autogenous nerve graft]

The dental pulpal histology was studied experimentally in rabbits after the inferior alveolar neurovascularity damage and nerve graft. The results revealed that the dental vitality was gradually repaired at different intervals after the inferior alveolar neurovascularity damage. In the early damaged period the pulpal blood vessels were reduced in number and some of them were swollen and permeable, in the late period the structure of the microvascular system became normal and abundant. The pulpal architecture was altered in the initial stage and with the tendency to repair gradually. The pulpal axon degenerated in early stage and reinnervated later. The authors indicate that there are no evident affections for dental pulpal tissues whatever the inferior alveolar neurovascularity is damaged and repaired. This has an important clinical value to define the dental pulp vitality in mandibular subapical osteotomy and tumor resection.