Evidence for programmed odontoblast process retraction after dentine exposure in the rat incisor

Differences in structural antibody expression suggest functional variations in OP within different regions of dentine. The role of actin positive OP in predentine is not known, but could be related to dentine deposition, cellular stability or sensing mechanisms. Cavity preparation into dentine was followed by programmed retraction of OP which could be controlled either mechanically by the spatial limitation of the OP within dentinal tubules or structurally by the presence of vimentin, in addition to actin, in the mid-dentine.