Periodontal Ligament

Lesson Plan

Periodontal ligament

• Structure and function

• Age changes
 The Attachment Apparatus

• Periodontal ligament

• Cementum

• Alveolar bone
 Definition:
• The Periodontal Ligament is
Periodontal
ligament
the Connective tissue that

surrounds the root and

connects it to the bone

•It is soft, richly vascular and

joins the root cementum to

socket wall
Periodontal ligament was described by many terms:

• Desmodont

• Gomphosis

• Pericementum

• Alveodental ligament

• Periodontal membrane

“Continuity between 2 mineralized tissues”

Structure of the periodontal ligament:

• Hourglass shape – narrow at the mid root level

• Width of the periodontal ligament:

– Approx  0.25mm

– Ranges Between  0.2 – 0.4mm

Components of the Periodontal Ligament :

Cellular
elements

Periodontal Ground
Fibers substance

Periodontal
ligament
1. Periodontal Fibers :

• Most important components are the “Principal fibers”

• Collagenous

• Arranged in bundles

• Follow wavy course

• Terminal portion inserted into cementum and bone 

“Sharpey’s fibers”
Sharpey’s Fibers
• These fibers are composed of :

Collagen A high molecular protein consisting of amino

acids namely:
– Glycine
– Proline
– Hydroxyproline
– Hydroxylysine
• The amount of collagen in a tissue is determined by its
hydroxyproline content
Collagen is synthesized by :
• Fibroblast
• Chondroblasts
• Osteoblasts
• Odontoblasts
• Other cells
 mi
cro
fib
Tro ril Fi
po br
c il
he ollag
lix en
Fibroblast

Fiber
Collagen fiber
• Collagen fibers have a transverse striation of 64nm caused by

overlapping of tropocollagen molecules

• Collagen imparts a unique combination of flexibility & strength

to tissues where it lies

Principal fibers Type I collagen

Reticular fibers Type III collagen

Basal Lamina Type IV collagen

The Principal fibers of Periodontal ligament :
Six Groups:

– Trans-septal group

– Alveolar crest group

– Horizontal group

– Oblique group

– Apical group

– Interradicular group
1. Trans-septal group:

Trans-septal
•Belong to gingiva Fibers

•No osseous attachment

•Extend interproximally over the alveolar

crest and are embedded in the cementum

of adjacent teeth

•Reconstructed even after destruction of

alveolar bone
2. Alveocrestal group:

Extend obliquely from

cementum beneath the
junctional epithelium to
Alveocrestal
alveolar crest group

Function :
•Retain tooth in socket
•Resist lateral tooth movement
•Protect deeper periodontal
ligament structure
3. Horizontal group:

Extend from cementum to

the alveolar bone at right

angle to long axis of tooth

4. Oblique group: Horizontal
group
Extend coronally in oblique
Oblique
direction from cementum to the group

bone
Function:
Resist axially directed forces
5. Apical group:

Originate from cementum of root

apex, splay apically and laterally into

the bone of alveolar fundus.

Function:

Prevent tooth tipping , resist luxation, Apical

Group
protect blood, lymph and nerve

supply to the tooth

6. Inter-radicular fibers:

Extend from cementum of

bifurcation areas, splay apically into

furcal bone

Function: It resists luxation tipping

and torquing
Interradicular
group
Secondary fibers of periodontal ligament:

• Interdigitate at right angles / splay around and between

regularly arranged fiber bundles

• Less regularly arranged collagen fibers

• Found in interstitial connective tissue, between principal

group of fibers

• Contain nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics

• Periodontal ligament does not contain mature elastin fibers

• Two immature forms of elastin are present :

– Oxytalan

– Eluanin

• They run parallel to the root surface  bend to attach to

cementum in cervical 3rd of root thought to regulate the
blood flow

• Indifferent fiber plexus  Small collagen fibers are

present with large principal collagen fibers  run in all
direction forming plexus
Ground substance:

• Space between fibers, cells, blood vessels and nerves is

occupied by ground substance

Made of 2 major group of substances:

• Glycosminoglycans Hyaluronic acid
Proteoglycans

• Glycoprotein fibronectin
laminin

• Has high water content – 70 %

Cellular component of the Periodontal Ligament

Cells Salient features

Synthetic cells
Osteoblast
•Cover periodontal surface of alveolar bone
•Synthesize bone matrix

Cementoblast •Synthesize the cementum matrix

Fibroblast
•Prominent connective tissue cells (65% of total cell population)
• Main function --> production of various types of fibers and

instrumental in synthesis of connective tissue matrix.

• It is stellate / spindle shaped cell
•Regulate collagen turnover
• Produce - Collagen fibers, Reticulin fibers, Oxytalan

fibers, Elastin fibers

Cellular component of the periodontal ligament

Cells Salient features

Resorptive cells

Osteoclasts •Resorb the bone

• large and multi nucleated
• Precursor cells are circulating monocytes
• Adjacent to bone undergoing active resorption is raised in
folds and is called ruffled or striated border

Cementoclasts •Cementoclasts are located in Howships lacunae resorb

cementum

Fibroblast •Phagocytoze the old collagen by enzyme hydrolysis

Cellular component of the Periodontal Ligament

Cells Salient features

Epithelial cells

•Epithelial Cell •Found close to cementum

rests of • Described by Malassez in 1884
Malassez • Remnants of Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath
• Persist as network, strand, island, tubule like structure near &
parallel to root surface
•Exhibit tonofilaments & attached to one another by
desmosomes
•Diminish with age – disappear / calcification -- cementicles
• In pathologic condition they undergo rapid proliferation and
produce various cysts and tumors of the jaw
Cellular component of the Periodontal Ligament

Cells Salient features

Defense cells

Mast cells •Small, round / oval cell having a diameter of 12-15µm.

• Cells contain cytoplasmic granules with small round nucleus
• Granules contain heparin & histamine
• Degranulate in response to antigen antibody reactions

Macrophages •Phagocytosis

Other cells •Neutrophils, eosinophils

Structures present in connective tissue:
• Blood vessels
• Lymphatics
• Nerves
• Cementicles –
– Calcified masses adherent to / detached from root surface
– Develop from epithelial cell rests of malassez

– Present around spicules of cementum & alveolar bone,

traumatically displaced into periodontal ligament
Blood vessels:

Supplied by branches

derived from 3 sources:

• Dental artery

• Interradicular artery

• Interdental
 Functions of Periodontal Ligament

• Physical

• Formative & remodeling

• Nutritional & sensory function

1. Physical:

a. Provides soft tissue casing to protect the vessels & nerves

from injury

b. Transmits occlusal forces to bone

 Axial force – stretching of oblique fibers

 Horizontal / tipping forces – two phases of movement

• First – within the confines of PDL

• Second – displacement of facial & lingual plates

• Greater force – tooth may rotate about an axis
• Apical portion moves in a direction opposite to coronal portion
– Areas of tension principal fibers become taut
– Areas of pressure
• Fibers are compressed
• Tooth is displaced
• A corresponding distortion of bone exists in the direction of tooth
movement

• Axis of rotation:
– Single rooted  apical & middle 3rd
– Multi rooted teeth  furcation area
c. Attaches teeth to the bone

d. Maintain gingival tissues in proper relationship to the teeth.

e. Shock absorption – resist impact occlusal forces
• Two theories have been given
– Tensional theory

– Viscoelastic theory
Tensional theory:

Principal fibers – support the tooth by transmitting forces to bone

Force applied to tooth Principal fibers unfold and straighten

Transmit forces to alveolar bone

Elastic deformation of the socket

Load transmitted to basal bone

2. Viscoelastic theory:

“ fluid movement controls displacement of tooth, fibers play secondary

role.”
Extracellular fluid pushed from
Forces transmitted to
periodontal ligament into marrow
the tooth
spaces through foramina in
cribriform plate

After depletion of

Arterial back tissue fluids, bundle

Blood vessel stenosis
pressure fibers absorb the
shock & tighten

Passage of blood Replenishing

Ballooning of the vessels ultrafiltrate into the the tissue

tissues fluids
3. Formative & remodeling:

• Periodontal ligament cells have capacity to control

synthesis and resorption of the cementum and alveolar

bone

• Periodontal ligament  constant remodeling

• Old cells & fibers are broken down & replaced by new one
• Mitotic activity can be observed in the fibroblast and
endothelial cells

• Fibroblasts form collagen fibers, residual mesenchymal

cells develop into osteoblast & cementoblast
• Rate of formation & differentiation of osteoblast,
cementoblast & fibroblast affects the rate of formation of
collagen, cementum & bone
4. Nutritional & sensory functions:

• Pdl has rich vascular supply, provides nutrition to cementum, bone

& gingiva

• Supplied by nerve fibers that can transmit sensation of touch

pressure and pain to higher centers

• Nerve bundle follow the course of blood vessel & enter the pdl

from periapical area through channels from alveolar bone

• These bundles divide into single myelinated fibers which loose

their myelin sheath & end in one of four types of neural termination
 Nerve ending Function

Free endings Pain sensation

Ruffini corpuscles Mechanoreceptors located in apical area

Meissners corpuscles Mechanoreceptors located primarily in mid

root region

Spindle like endings Pressure & vibration, located mainly in the

apex
 Pain sensation is transmitted by small diameter nerves

 Temperature by intermediate type

 Pressure by large myelinated fibers

Clinical consideration:

• Primary role of pdl – support tooth in bony socket

• Thickness varies in different teeth

• Pdl is thinner on mesial root surface than on distal surface.

• Due to trauma to the periodontal ligament / accidental

blow, pathologic changes will be produced,  fracture /

resorption of the cementum & alveolar bone

• Hence bone loss & widening of pdl which result in tooth

becoming loose

• When trauma removed , repair usually takes place

Orthodontic tooth movement:
• If movement of tooth is in physiologic limits, compression of
pdl on pressure side result in bone resorption
• On tension side – bone apposition is seen
• Application of large forces result in necrosis of the
periodontal ligament & alveolar bone
• Gingivitis extended to involve pdl – periodontitis
irreversible
Age changes in Periodontal Ligament :

• Decreased number of fibroblasts

• Irregular structure
• Decreased organic matrix formation
• Decreased epithelial cell rests

• Increased amount of elastic fiber