Cememtum

Physical characteristics
1. Colourlight yellow and lighter in colour than dentin 2. Thickness acellular cementum (present in cervical and middle 1/3) is thicker than cellular cementum (present in apical 1/3) 3. Permeability permeable from dentin and PDL side. Cellular dentin is more permeable than acellular dentin

Chemical composition
45%-55% inorganic substance and 50% organic substances Cementum contains he greatest amount of fluoride in all mineralised issues. Ratio of organic: inorganic ratio is nearly equal so cementum can be studied in both G.S. and D.S

Cementum structure
Cant see cells and soft tissue in G.S so only lacunae of cementocytes are seen while in D.S cementocytes can be seen. Acellular cementum Clear and contains no cells Covers the coronal half of the root cervical 1/3 and parts of M 1/3 Less permeable than cellular dentin Incremental lines of salter are parallel to the surface and closer to each other Sharpeys fibers space can be seen in it Cellular cementum The processes of cementocytes are longer on the PDL side than on the dentin side as there are more nutrition and blood in the PDL Note that processes on osteocytes are of equal length while processes on cementocytes are unequal in length.

Incremental lines of Salter

Hypermineralized area with less collagen fibers and more ground substance They are closer to one another in acellular dentin as that part of the root is formed slowly so cells take more rest while the incremental lines are further apart in cellular dentin. Intermediate Cementum: premature degeneration of ERSH (after odontoblasts differentiation and before full thickness of dentin forms) occurs at apical 1/3 of premolars and molars root and rare in incisors and deciduous teeth. Intermediate cementum has both properties of dentin and cementum

Afibrillar Cementum : formed due to rupture of R.E.E. and enamel exposed to dental sac and cementum starts forming on top of enamel, covering the enamel for a very short distance. It is usually formed at the cervical 1/3 as the R.E.E. is very thin there.

Types of cementum
1. 2. 3. 4. acellular cementum cellular cementum intermediate cementum afibrillar cementum

Cemento dentinal junction :

1. 30% cementum meets the enamel in a sharp line 2. 10% cementum and enamel doesnt meet because of delayed separation of ERSH (area of dentin not covered by cementum) leads to enamel pearl or uncovered dentin 3. 60% cementum overlaps enamel afibrillar cementum

Functions of cementum
1. Acts as a medium for attachment of collagen fibers of PDL 2. The continuous formation of cementum keeps the attachment apparatus intact. the turnover rate of PDL is very high and old fibers get replaced by new fibers continuously 3. Cementum deposition apically compensate for attrition as teeth gets attrition, they lose contact e.g. the upper and lower incisors. However, as teeth always seek contact, they will move up and leave a space in the apical root and this space will be filled with cementum 4. Its a major reparative tissue however, if its a major problem such as a vertical root fracture, cementum cant compensate for it

Cementogenesis
1. Matrix formation cementum is formed during root formation. Cementoblast is a protein forming and secreting cell.

2. Maturation maturation occurs layer by layer for collagen fibers

Ages changes of cementum

1.Hypercementosis May affect one tooth or all teeth Can be named something else if its localized. Types of hypercementosis

1. Hypercementosis hypertrophy functional : increase in number of Sharpeys fibers. If the piece of newly formed cementum has sharpeys fibers in it, its functional. 2. Hypercementosis hyperplasia non-functional: decrease in number of Sharpeys fibers 2. Permeability Decrease form PDL side but remain at the superficial recently formed layers Permeability from dentin side remains at apical area only (area where cementocytes are there)