Henry,JL, Weinmann,JP. The Pattern of Resorption and Repair of Human Cementum. JADA 42:270, 1951

Study aim

• To quantify cemental resorption changes found in 15 human cadavers with a total of 261 teeth sectioned. Resorption lines measured (junctional lines between the dentin and enamel where no new cementum formed) and reversal lines - line junction between the unresorbed area of the root and the newly formed cementum in a resorption area.

Findings

• 90% of the 261 teeth examined had resorption to some degree and 9% showed no resorption or repair.
• the older dentitions had a greater chance for resorbtion- perhaps due to slowing down of repair process' with age?
• mesial and distal areas had more resorption- perhaps via mesial drift?
• 85% of resorption areas had at least begun repair process' and a large majority almost complete resorption- therefore all resorptions incurred will be repaired once the cause of active resorption ceases and provided that the connective tissue had not been permanently detached from the area.
• pathology does not cause resorption i.e. periodontitis, but traumatic changes does correlate to resorption.
• cells, fibers, incremental lines and resorption areas in cementum serves as history of the functional activity of the tooth and blood vessels found in cementum do not branch and they do not appear to nourish the cementum but remain in cementum due to rapid formation of the cementum

Note that Solheim (1990) showed that cementum in deceased humans as having a tendency for less cementum to occur.

Back: Cementum Articles
Menu: Literature Review Topics
Home: PIC Homepage