Different Histological Stains Used for Assessing the Morphology of Cementum - A Review

Abstract

Cementum is a unique least mineralised tissue with only little information known on cementogenesis. Hence
various stains have been identified to view the morphology of cementum. Cementum is critical for attachment
of the tooth to the surrounding periodontal ligament (PDL). This study aims to review various stains used
for assessing the cementum morphology.The study setting is a review where the information about the topic
is obtained from various search engines like pubmed and google scholar by searching the keywords and the
study was made. The cementum is a distinct and unique mineralized hard tissue which shares many similar
properties with the dentin and bone. There are various methods of histotechniques for studying morphology
and development of cementum. Upon overview of various histological approaches for studying and staining
of cementum through light microscopy are H&E, Toluidine Blue, Alcian blue, Picrosirius red, etc. Bone
sialoprotein, osteopontin, DMP1, etc., are the staining methods using immunohistochemistry. Cementum
annulations are used in forensic analysis to determine the age of the body. Hence, studying about these stains
might help to understand the morphology of cementum deeply and thus give accurate details.