The dental pulp derives from neural crest cells (the
ectomesenchyme). Proliferation and condensation of
these cells lead to formation of the dental papilla from
which the mature pulp is derived. The mature pulp
bears a strong resemblance to the embryonic connective
tissue, with a layer of highly specialized cells, the
odontoblasts, along its periphery.
The physical
confinement of the dental pulp, its high incidence of
sensory nerve innervation and the rich microcirculatory
components make the dental pulp a unique tissue.
Knowledge of the normal pulp function, its components
and their interaction is necessary to provide a frame-work for
understanding the changes that occur in
diseased pulps.