Methods for studying tooth root cementum by light microscopy

Abstract

Light microscopy and chemical staining methods could help clarify how tooth cementum develops, a US scientist reveals. This thin layer of mineralized tissue that covers the roots of teeth can be one of two types: acellular or cellular. Since little is known about the tissue itself, Brian Foster of the National Institutes of Health, Maryland, USA, compared different staining techniques to differentiate acellular and cellular cementum from surrounding dentin, bone and ligament structures in mouse, porcine and human teeth. He found that Alcian blue stain and nuclear fast red counterstain were the most effective in distinguishing between cementum and surrounding tissues using light microscopy. Foster also found that using antibodies to highlight specific proteins in the tissue (immunohistochemistry) helped visualize the cementum layers and could provide insight into its biological development.

Keywords

bone / bone sialoprotein / cementum / dentin / dentin matrix protein 1 / osteopontin / periodontal ligament / tooth development

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