Pulp structure in bilateral and opposing pairs of teeth

abstract — The general structure, degree of vacuolization of the odontoblast layer, and the stage of root development were evaluated in demineralized, hematoxylin-eosin stained sections of 21 monkey incisors and 35 human premolars. Emphasis was placed on a comparison between bilateral and opposing pairs. It was found that opposing pairs did not differ more than bilateral pairs. These observations imply that bilateral and opposing pairs are equally satisfactory as control teeth in experimental studies. It is suggested that the unaffected pulp tissue in the experimental tooth may be the most reliable control tissue except in situations where the major part of the pulp tissue is affected by the experimental procedure.