Effects of pulp removal and organ culture on adult rat incisor odontoblasts.

The morphological integrity of adult rat incisor odontoblasts was studied to determine the effects of pulp removal and subsequent incubation. From each pair of maxillary incisors one was left intact while the pulp from the other one was removed. Both series were incubated in BGJb medium according to the Trowell method. Morphometrical measurements of the thickness of the odontoblast layer and the size and shape of the odontoblast nuclei were performed on photomicrographs of transverse sections of the incisors. After pulp removal the odontoblasts seemed disorganized and their nuclei were darker and more rounded. During incubation the odontoblasts did not recover from the effect of this pulp removal and degenerative changes were frequently seen. In the culture of the complete tooth organ the morphological integrity of the odontoblasts was much better preserved. Therefore the organ culture of intact teeth seems more favourable.