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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Molecular Innate Immunity
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1474466
This article is part of the Research Topic Oral Immunology – Interplay of Molecules, Cells and Oral Tissue Environment View all 5 articles

Understanding dental pulp inflammation: from signaling to structure

Provisionally accepted
Sandra Pohl Sandra Pohl 1Tobias Akamp Tobias Akamp 1Martyna Smeda Martyna Smeda 1Stefan Uderhardt Stefan Uderhardt 2David Besold David Besold 1Gabriel Krastl Gabriel Krastl 3Kerstin M. Galler Kerstin M. Galler 4Wolfgang Buchalla Wolfgang Buchalla 1Matthias Widbiller Matthias Widbiller 1*
  • 1 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany
  • 2 Medical Department 3, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany
  • 3 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany
  • 4 Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The pulp is a unique tissue within each tooth that is susceptible to painful inflammation, known as pulpitis, triggered by microbial invasion from carious lesions or trauma that affect many individuals. The host response involves complex immunological processes for pathogen defense and dentin apposition at the site of infection. The interplay of signaling between the immune and non-immune cells via cytokines, chemokines, neuropeptides, proteases, and reactive nitrogen and oxygen species leads to tissue reactions and structural changes in the pulp that escalate beyond a certain threshold to irreversible tissue damage. If left untreated, the inflammation, which is initially localized, can progress to pulpal necrosis, requiring root canal treatment and adversely affecting the prognosis of the tooth. To preserve pulp vitality and dental health, a deeper understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of pulpitis is imperative. In particular, elucidating the links between signaling pathways, clinical symptoms, and spatiotemporal spread is essential to develop novel therapeutic strategies and push the boundaries of vital pulp therapy.

    Keywords: Dental Pulp, Immunity, Pulpitis, Inflammation, Dentin, Dental Caries, Cytokines, Chemokines

    Received: 01 Aug 2024; Accepted: 03 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Pohl, Akamp, Smeda, Uderhardt, Besold, Krastl, Galler, Buchalla and Widbiller. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Matthias Widbiller, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.