Lymphatic vessels of the human dental pulp.

Noncarious teeth obtained from individuals 15 to 50 years of age were used to study the lymphatic drainage of the human pulp. Thick sections (50 to 150 microns) were stained with iron hematoxylin for the demonstration of lymph and blood vessels. Lymph capillaries originated as blind sacs in the odontoblastic layer and in the pulp proper near the pulpo-odontoblastic border. They drained into small thin-walled collecting vessels that were irregular in shape and showed great variability in their drainage patterns. Communications between these vessels were very common. The larger conducting lymphatic vessels accompanied the blood vessels and nerves in their course through the pulp. They could be identified by their thin walls and small size. The large caliber lymphatic vessels contained valves, a structure not present in the veins of the same size. The conducting lymphatic vessels passed through the roots as individual units without draining into a large single vessel. The lymphatic vessels of the human pulp must be considered as a pathway for the removal of excessive tissue fluid in normal and diseased pulps.