DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH
OF TEETH-PART-1
Oral and Dental Histology (1602202)
15-18/3/2026 Second Semester (2025-2026)
Assoc. Prof. Wafaa Alghonemy Week 3
Definition of tooth development (odontogenesis)
• A complex process involves many growth & transcription factors, resulting
in the determination, differentiation, and organization of odontogenic
tissues.
Reciprocal inductive interactions
• Occurs when the 2 interacting tissues are both
inducers and can respond to each other's signals.
Teeth formed from
1) Oral ectoderm ….. enamel.
2) Neural crest (ectomesenchyme)…..Dentin,
pulp, cementum, periodontal ligament, and
alveolar bone
Cranial neural crest cells (ectomesenchyme)
• A transient cell population
that originates at the crest
of the neural fold and gives
rise to multiple cell types
during craniofacial
development.
• Invade the developing 1st
branchial arch mesenchyme
and, in a series of reciprocal
inductive interactions with
early oral epithelium.
Primary epithelial band
• The first evidence of tooth formation
in a human embryo.
• At six weeks of intra-uterine life.
• A Thickening of the epithelium of the
primitive oral cavity in the mandibular,
maxillary, and median nasal processes.
• 2 or 3 cell layers of epithelium are
roughly horseshoe-shaped at the
position of the future dental arches of
the upper and lower jaws.
• Proliferates to form the vestibular
lamina and the dental lamina.
Vestibular lamina
• A wedge of epithelial cells facial
to the dental lamina.
• proliferates into the
ectomesenchyme, then
degenerates at the center to
form a cleft, which becomes the
oral vestibules.
• In the midplane of each lip, the
degeneration is less extensive,
leaving a midline fold known as
the labial frenum.
Dental lamina
1) Mother (generalized) DL
• Gives rise to the lateral and
successional dental lamina.
• Distal proliferation of the mother DL
form the tooth germs of permanent
molars (non succedaneous teeth).
2) Lateral DL
• Form the deciduous teeth
3) Successional DL
• Lingual extension of lateral DL.
• Form permanent successors.
Fate of dental lamina
• Total activity of DL extends over a
period of at least 5 years.
• After the initiation of each tooth
development, its dental lamina begins
to degenerate.
• May still be active in the third molar
region after it has disappeared
elsewhere.
• Its remnants persist as epithelial
pearls or islands within the jaw and
gingiva. (Cell rest of Serres)(Serres
gland)
Stages of tooth development
Morphological stages
1) Bud stage. (A)
2) Cap stage. (B)
3) Bell (early & late) stage. (C-F)
4) Root development stage. (G&F)
Bud Stage (Proliferated stage)
• Shape of the enamel or dental
organ (epithelial part of the tooth
germ)--- round or oval swelling.
• Tooth germ consists of dental organ
surrounded by condensation of
ectomesenchymal cells.
• Ectomesenchymal condensation
forms because of both the
increased mitotic activity and the
migration of neural crest cells into
the area surrounding the tooth
bud.
The histological features of
bud stage
• The tooth germ consists of:
1) Dental (enamel) organ.
That consists of
• Peripherally located
cuboidal cells
• Centrally located embryonic
Polygonal cells
2) Condensedecto
mesenchymal tissue
Cap stage
A) Early cap stage
• tooth bud (epith.) continues to
proliferate in a non-uniform
pattern & the underlying
ectomesenchymal cells continue
to proliferate rapidly.
• So, the dental organ assumes a
cap shape on the top of the
condensed ectomesenchymal
tissue which is now termed dental
papilla (cellular CT).
• Dental organ and the dental
papilla are encapsulated by dental dental papilla
follicle (dental sac)(fibrous CT).
dental sac
The histological features of
cap stage
1- Dental organ consists of:
A- Outer enamel epithelium.
B- Inner enamel epithelium.
C- Stellate reticulum.
2- Dental papilla.
3- Dental sac or follicle.
B) Late cap stage (recent research)
• 4th layer of epithelial cells is
formed, between IEE & the
stellate reticulum (stratum
intermedium).
• 1 or 2 layers of squamous cells.
• Form one functional unit with
IEE as they have high activity of
alkaline phosphatase enzyme,
and are responsible for enamel
mineralization
Enamel knot Transitory structures
• A signaling center appears in
the epithelium during the bud
to cap stage transition.
• It expresses different signals
which:
1- regulate the early growth of the
tooth, enamel
2- determine the positions of 2ry knot
enamel knots corresponding to
the sites of future cusps.
Enamel cord
• A vertical extension of the
enamel knot that extends to
OEE.
Enamel niche
• Appears within the dental
organ as a double
attachment of DL to the
overlying oral epithelium
enclosing ectomesenchyme
between them.
• This appearance is due to a
funnel-shaped depression
of DL.
FUNCTIONS OF THE CELLS OF TOOTH GERM
A) Dental organ
I-Functions of the outer enamel epithelium:
1- It controls the exchange of the substances between the dental organ and its
surrounding tissues.
2-It is involved in the maintenance of the shape of the enamel organ.
II- Functions of the stellate reticulum:
1- It acts as cushion, and it protects the tooth against mechanical disturbances.
2- It acts as a store house for nutritive components needed for enamel forming cells.
3- It keeps room for the developing enamel.
III- Functions of the inner enamel epithelium:
It molds the shape of the crown
B) Functions of the dental papilla:
1- It contains nutritive components needed for enamel forming cells.
2- It is the formative organ of dentine and pulp.
C) Functions of the dental sac
1- It provides sufficient reinforcement to prevent distortion of the outer dental
epithelium.
2 - Blood capillaries at its periphery give nourishment to the dental organ.
3- It is the formative organ of cementum, periodontal ligament and alveolar
bone.
(3-A) Early bell stage
• Histodifferentiation & morphodifferentiation.
• Dental organ assumes a bell shape.
• IEE recognize the shape of the future tooth
crown pattern.
• Mitotic activity of IEE cells stops.
• IEE cells elongate to form ameloblasts (the
enamel forming cells).
• 2ry enamel knots are formed at future sites of
cusp formation.
• Odontoblasts differentiation at the area of the
future cusp tip takes place, under the
induction influence of the ameloblasts
• Basal lamina between
odontoblasts & ameloblasts
disintegrates.
• Boundary between
ameloblasts & odontoblasts
outline the future DEJ.
• IEE meets the OEE at the rim
of the dental organ (cervical
loop).
• Stellate reticulum expands
furthermore by increasing the
intercellular fluid.
• Stratum intermedium
connected to the ameloblasts
by desmosomes and gap
junctions (mineralization of
enamel in the late bell stage).
Cervical Loop
Stratum
Intermedium
Stellate Reticulum Dental Papilla
Outer Enamel
Epithelium
Inner Enamel
Epithelium
Dental Follicle
Functions of the stratum intermedium
The stratum intermedium cells are thought to function with ameloblasts in the
mineralization of enamel as they contain alkaline phosphatase enzyme.