Dental pulp

The dental pulp is a specialized, highly vascularized, and richly innervated connective tissue located within the central pulp chamber and root canals of a tooth (StatPearls, 2025; Elsevier, 2016). Derived from neural crest cells, it consists of a complex mixture of fibroblasts, odontoblasts, immune cells, and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) embedded in an extracellular matrix (Goldberg & Hirata, 2017; MDPI, 2023). Its primary biological functions include the formation and maintenance of dentin (dentinogenesis), providing sensory feedback through nociceptive fibers, and supporting tooth vitality through a microvascular network (Pocket Dentistry, 2016; StatPearls, 2025). Furthermore, the pulp serves as a critical reservoir for stem cells that contribute to regenerative endodontics and tissue engineering (MDPI, 2020; PMC, 2018). It acts as a biosensor for pathogenic stimuli, initiating immune responses to external irritants (PMC, 2021). In disease states, the pulp is the primary site of inflammation known as pulpitis, which often results from bacterial invasion via dental caries and can lead to irreversible necrosis if the pulp's low-compliance environment is compromised (ResearchGate, 2023; MDPI, 2023; PMC, 2018). While pharmacological management involves local anesthetics to block sensory signaling and bioceramic materials like mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) to induce tissue repair, the dental pulp is considered an anatomical tissue rather than a specific molecular target (MDPI, 2021; PMC, 2021; MDPI, 2024).

Other names

EndodontiumTooth pulpDental papilla

Pharmacological interventions in the dental pulp primarily involve the blockade of voltage-gated sodium channels on sensory nerves for local anesthesia (StatPearls, 2025), or the induction of mineralizing pathways and growth factor release from the dentin matrix using high-pH materials to stimulate reparative dentin formation by odontoblasts (PubMed, 2021; PMC, 2021; PMC, 2018).