Most abundant nerve fibers in the dental pulp are:
CGRP-containing or CGRP-immunoreactive (CGRPIR) nerve fibers are the most abundant in the dental pulp. It is three to four times more abundant than SP. CGRP-IR fibers enter the pulp via the apical foramen in bundles either surrounding the blood vessels or individually and ramify into a network of fine fibers in the coronal pulp. Coronally, individual fibers penetrate the odontoblast layer and predentin to terminate in the inner 100 mm of the dental tubules. Radicular pulp fibers run parallel to the long axis of the tooth with little arborization and little penetration of the odontoblast layer. SP is commonly found in C fibers with similar distribution to CGRP. NKA fibers have similar distribution to SP-IR nerve fibers. CGRP, SP and NKA have been shown to coexist in the same nerve fibers in the dental pulp. NPY is usually found in sympathetic nerves and its distribution varies from the sensory neuropeptides. It enters the pulp mainly surrounding the blood vessels and terminates in the floor or the midcoronal part of the pulp chamber. It is more numerous in the radicular than in the coronal pulp.
CGRP IR
SP-IR
Both
None