DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOOTH AND
ITS SUPPORTING STRUCTURES
EARLY TOOTH DEVELOPMENT
In the early stage of tooth development, we have three overlapping phases:
1) Initiation
Sites of future teeth are established: so that each tooth is formed in a specific location.
Formation of dental lamina : dental lamina is the structure that is formed temporarily and leads to the
formation of teeth
Appearance of tooth germs : tooth germ is a mass of tissue that appears early and has the potential of
developing into a tooth.
2) Morphogenesis
The three-dimensional shape of the tooth is determined by cell proliferation & cell movement
3) Histogenesis
Differentiation of cells
Formation of dental tissues:
Mineralized tissues: enamel, dentine, cementum and alveolar bone
Unmineralized tissues: dental pulp and periodontal ligament
:EARLY SIGNS OF TOOTH DEVELOPMENT
Condensation of ectomesenchymal tissue and capillary networks beneath oral
epithelium (ectoderm) at specific sites where each tooth will form
Oral epithelium thickens and invaginates into condensed ectomesenchyme forming
the primary epithelial band (PEB)
Primary Epithelial Band divides into
two laminae:
1) Vestibular lamina
This lamina is located buccally and leads to the formation of the oral vestibule after
the degeneration of the central cells
Oral vestibule represents the space that exists between the lips and checks (on the
outside) and the teeth (on the inside)
2) Dental lamina
Dental lamina is surrounded by condensed ectomesenchyme
This lamina is located lingually and leads to the formation of teeth
** NOTES:
Dental lamina gives rise to enamel while the ectomesenchyme gives rise to dentine, pulp
and all supporting tissues of the tooth
Enamel organ = the structure responsible for the formation of enamel
Tooth germ = enamel organ (forms enamel) + dental papilla (forms dentine & dental pulp)
+ dental follicle (forms Cementum, Alveolar Bone & Periodontal Ligament)
:BUD STAGE
1) Enamel organ
At this stage, enamel organ is still poorly differentiated
morphologically and histologically (so that its shape isn’t established
yet and its cells aren’t specialized yet)
:CAP STAGE
This stage is subdivided into two stages:
1. Early cap stage
Deeper surface invaginates to form a cap-shaped structure
Cells are still poorly differentiated but at least we can
distinguish between the central portion cells and
the peripheral cells
Central portion cells
- Rounded cells
Peripheral cells will later on become:
- Internal enamel epithelium (IEE) : will give the
“ameloblasts” which are the enamel secreting cells
- External enamel epithelium (EEE)
2. Late cap stage
Enamel organ is made of three distinct layers :
1)Stellate reticulum (SR)
they are the central cells found between IEE and EEE
2)EEE cells remain cuboidal
3)IEE cells become more columnar
Ectomesenchymal cells continue to surround the enamel organ forming:
1) Dental papilla : represents cells condensed within the concavity of the cap
of the enamel organ. These cells will later on develop dentine and dental pulp
2)Dental follicle : represents cells condensed around the enamel organ. These
cells will later on develop the supporting tissues (cementum, periodontal
ligament & alveolar bone)
:O BELL STAGE
This stage is subdivided into two stages:
1. Early bell stage:
Morphodifferentiation :the three-dimensional shape of the tooth is
determined by cell proliferation & cell movement
Differential cell division along IEE:
Differential means division is not at the same rate in different regions of the
crown and this will lead to mapping out the occlusal/incisal shape of the
crown
:ENAMEL ORGAN IS MADE OF FOUR DISTINCT LAYERS
A. External Enamel Epithelium (EEE):
They are still cuboidal cells
Functions of EEE:
- Maintenance of the shape of the enamel organ
- Exchange of substances between enamel organ and dental follicle
:B. STELLATE RETICULUM (SR)
These cells occupy the central portion of the enamel organ
They are fully developed at this stage
They are star shaped cells with many branching processes
Functions of SR:
Protection of underlying tissue against physical disturbance
These cells act as shock absorber and they absorb any physical forces
Maintenance of tooth shape - Its hydrostatic pressure is in equilibrium with that
of the dental papilla allowing the proliferation of IEE to determine crown
morphogenesis
If the pressure of the SR is less than that of the dental papilla then the IEE cells
will move to the area of low pressure and this will disturb their proliferation
:C. STRATUM INTERMEDIUM (SI)
2-3 layers of flattened cells
They are located just over the IEE (between IEE and SR)
Function of these cells isn’t detected yet, however they might be concerned
with protein synthesis, transport of materials to and from IEE cells and
concentration of cells
:D. INTERNAL ENAMEL EPITHELIUM (IEE)
They are columnar cells that become elongated starting from the cusp tips
and incisal edges
These cells start to elongate because they are trying to differentiate into
enamel forming cells (ameloblasts)
These cells are connected together and also the SI cells by Desmosomes
These cells are separated from dental papilla underneath them by a
Basement membrane
Dental papilla : It is less differentiated than enamel organ at this
stage
o 2. Late bell stage:
o Histodifferentiation : Differentiation of cells & formation of dental tissues
o This stage is considered an appositional stage because:
o We start noticing some hard tissue formation
NOTES:
Dental lamina: gives rise
to all deciduous teeth
(deciduous incisors,
deciduous canines and
deciduous molars)
Successional lamina :
gives rise to all
permanent successor
teeth (permanent
incisors, permanent
canines and permanent
premolars)
General lamina :
gives rise to all
permanent molars
(permanent 1st, 2nd
and 3rd molars)
Deciduous 2nd
molar has two
laminae
1)Successional
lamina (produces the
2nd premolar) and
2) General lamina
(produces the
permanent 1st molar)
Permanent 1st and
2nd molars have
distal extensions
(general laminae)
while 3rd molar
doesn’t
Transient structures:
Those structures will disappear eventually
o Enamel knot
- A localized mass of cells in the center of IEE
- They bulge into dental papilla
- They are non-proliferative cells
- They produce signaling molecules –
- Formerly a transient structure with unknown function
- Recently, an organizing center initiating cusp patterning
- Develop from the only cells within the central region of dental organ then fail
to grow
- Influencing the shape of the crown
- Development of dental papillae
- Undergoes apoptosis after cusp patterning : they disappear & contribute
cells to enamel cord
Enamel cord
A strand of cells extending from SI into SR
- May be involved in mechanical transformation of cap stage into bell stage
- - Termed enamel septum when reaching EEE and it is called septum because it looks
like separating enamel organ into two parts
- Enamel navel A small invagination at junction with EEE
Enamel niche
- Area enclosed by the double attachment of enamel organ to dental lamina
Nerve supply:
Nerves supply starts as a plexus under dental papilla during cap
stage
Enamel organ is NOT innervated and it relies on surrounding
ectomesenchyme to gain its innervation
Nerves spread & penetrate dental papilla with onset of
dentinogenesis
Blood supply
Blood vessels invade dental papilla at early bell stage
Blood vessels are evident in dental follicle in close association with EEE which
they never penetrate
IEE cells have two sources of blood supply, first one is the capillaries
invading the dental papilla and second one is the nutrients being received
from the dental follicle via EEE & SR
Blood vessels don’t penetrate the EEE cells because if they do then they will
disturb the hydrostatic pressure balance and then disturb the IEE
differentiation PLUS they might change the shape of the EEE and then the
shape of the IEE and finally the shape of the whole crown