Objective: To examine the influence of occlusal stimuli on the vasculature in the dental pulp, using an occlusal hypofunction model.
Materials and methods: Twenty 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups. To produce occlusal hypofunction, the appliances were attached to the maxillary and mandibular incisors. Untreated rats served as controls. Serial horizontal paraffin sections of the mandibular first molar were processed by conventional methods. To evaluate the microvasculature in the dental pulp, sections of each specimen were stained with hematoxylin-eosin.
Results: In the experimental group, the arterioles in the tooth pulp tissue ran convergently, and their inside diameter was significantly smaller than that of the control group.
Conclusion: This study suggests that occlusal stimuli influence the periodontal ligament throughout the microvasculature of the dental pulp.