Determination of Cellular Debris in Endodontically Treated Teeth: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Previous studies indicate that dental tissues are a source of mitochondrial DNA that could be useful for human identification. The main cell in the pulpo-dentin complex is the odontoblast, whose cellular body is located on the border between the pulp and dentin and continues through cell processes. In endodontically treated teeth, pulp tissue is removed, assuming the complete elimination of cellular content and the inner third of dentin. Facing the possibility of finding teeth that were treated endodontically as the only source available for a forensic analysis, is that the objective of this study is to determine the presence of cellular debris in the dentin of teeth with root canal treatment. Twenty teeth roots obtained from 8 single and multi-rooted teeth were treated endodontically, with conventional manual technique. The samples were processed by conventional histological analysis (H&E). In root canals endodontic cement remnants and cylinder-cubic structures resembled odontoblastic bodies were observed, but without certainty to establish its presence. This research concludes that it is not possible to determine presence of cellular debris in endodontically treated teeth using the described technique.