A scanning electron microscopic study of dentinal tubules in dead tracts.

It is generally accepted that a certain change occurs in teeth containing a vital pulp as a response to such injuries as caries, attrition and abrasion. In these cases dentinal tubules are filled with gaseous substances. In ground sections the groups of dentinal tubules, appearing black in transmitted light, have been named dead tracts by FisH[1-3]. However, there are few reports on the observation of dead tracts using scanning electron microscopy. In the present investigation dead tracts of dentin from human teeth were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and the results were compared with other reports.