Fluid flow through cat dentine in vivo.

An outward flow of fluid through exposed dentine was demonstrated in anaesthetized cats. The flow was measured by observing the movement of the fat droplets of dilute milk in a glass capillary (i.d. 30 microns) with a microscope. The capillary was sealed to the dentine with a plastic cap. The resting flow rate through dentine exposed by fracturing off the tip of a cat's canine ranged from 2.8 to 50.9 pl.s-1.mm-2 (mean 18.1, SD 15.9, n = 12). Raising the pressure at the dentine surface to about 15 cmH2O stopped the flow. Immediately after cutting the pulp at the root apex, in 11 of 12 preparations, the flow reversed. The average flow rate was then 3.8 pl.s-1.mm-2 inward (range 8.4 outward to 15.9 inward, SD 5.4, n = 12). The inward flow after pulp section suggests that an osmotic effect may contribute to the net pressure causing flow. The average hydraulic conductance of the exposed dentine was 1.6 x 10(-8) m.s-1.kPa-1 (range 0.5-2.9, SD 0.8) before pulp section. After pulp section, it increased to an average of 2.5 x 10(-8) m.s-1.kPa-1 (range 0.8-5.2, SD 1.3).