Developmental growth and degeneration of pulpal axons in feline primary incisors

The life history of pulpal axons in primary mandibular incisors was examined by light and electron microscopy in 56 kittens aged from 25 days postconception to 120 days after birth. Cells resembling Schwann cells preceded the first arrival of pulpal axons, 1 week postnatally. Myelination was initiated during the second week. Two months after birth the incisors were fully grown and each pulp contained about 100 axons. Between 10 and 20% of these were myelinated and ranged in size from 1 to 5 μ. The relation between number of myelin lamellae and axon size appeared nonlinear and differed markedly from that in similarly sized inferior alveolar nerve axons. During the third month many unmyelinated axons showed signs of degeneration. With progress of root resorption an increasing proportion of both unmyelinated and myelinated axons degenerated. In highly resorbed incisors necrotic Schwann cells were associated with degenerating axons and there was a generalized pulpal tissue reaction. In some teeth with advanced root resorption pulpal axons were lacking. A progressive derangement of all pulpal tissue elements continued until shedding during the second half of the fourth month. In incisor nerve branches below the incisor teeth axon degeneration was very limited.