General features of alveolar bone

1. Alveolar Bone Or Alveolar Process
Dr.Muhammad Anwaar Alam

2. Alveolar Process
 The part of maxilla or mandible which supports and
protect the teeth is known as the alveolar bone.
 It consists of outer cortical plates, a central
spongiosa and a bone lining the socket

3. Development of Alveolus
• Alveolar bone develops from the dental follicle
• The ectomesenchymal cells of the dental follicle
differentiate into osteoblasts and lay down the matrix called
osteoid
• At the end of second month of fetal life there is formation of
groove in maxilla and mandible which open toward oral
cavity
• The grooves contain tooth germ, alveolar nerves and
vessels, later bony septa develop between these tooth
germ.
• Alveolar process develop during eruption of teeth and
gradually diminishes after tooth extraction

4. Alveolar process
 The alveolar process consists of two parts
1. Alveolar Bone proper
2. Supporting Alveolar bone

5. Alveolar Bone Proper (Bundle bone, Lamina dura)
• Alveolar bone proper is that part of alveolar bone that lines
the sockets
• It is a thin lamella of compact bone in which periodontal
fibres are embedded
• It is a specialized type of compact bone composed of
bundle bone and Haversian bone
• It is referred as Bundle Bone because it is penetrated by
Sharpey’s fibres from the periodontal ligament

6. Alveolar Bone

7. Bundle Bone

8. • Alveolar bone process is also known as cribriform plate
because it is perforated with many opening through with
nerves and vessel pass into periodontal ligament.
• Radiographically alveolar bone proper is referred to as
lamina dura
• Lamina dura appears more dense because it is thick bone
and without trabeculations so it appears radio-opaque
• In a radiograph the widening of lamina dura indicates
periodontal pathology
• In physiological movement of teeth, this bone is readily
resorbed in zones of compression and is formed in zones of
tension

9. Radiographic appearance of alveolar bone proper as ‘Lamina Dura’

10. Supporting Bone
• The remainder of the alveolar process below the alveolar
bone proper is called the supporting bone
• It is attached to the alveolar bone proper
• Supporting bone includes the compact cortical plates on the
outer surface and the spongy bone between the cortical
plates

13. Cortical plates (Compact supporting bone)
• This is the part which consists of compact bone and forms
outer and inner plates of the alveolar process
• It is also called the cortical bone/plate
• The cortical bone has Haversian systems, radiating
longitudinal lamellae with lacunae and canaliculi
• Cortical plates are thinner in maxilla when compared with
mandible where it is thick

14. Haversion system in Compact Bone

15. Alveolar Bone
Outer alveolar plate
Inner alveolar plate

16. Canals of Zukerkandl and Hirschfeld
 These are the nutrient canals present in the
interradicular and interdental septa.
 These canals carry the interdental and inter-radicular
arteries, veins, lymph vessels and nerves

17. Spongy bone (Cancellous supporting bone)
• Cancellous bone is located apically between the alveolar
bone proper and the cortical bone
• It is also called as Spongy bone
• It supports and strengthens the alveolar bone proper

18. Interdental bone
• The bone between the roots of adjacent single-rooted or
multi-rooted teeth is called Interdental bone
Interradicular bone
• The bone between the roots of multi rooted teeth is known
as Interradicular bone

19. Alveolar Bone
Interdental septum
Interradicular septum