Edited 8th Nov 08

TOOTH DEVELOPMENT

 Tissue type: ectoderm (skin), mesoderm (muscle), endoderm Oral epithelium (ectodermal derived)
(gut/ cells lining blood vessels)
o Interaction between ectoderm and mesoderm lead to
the development of tooth Ectomesenchyme
o Tooth is a ‘microcosm of development’
 Enamel of tooth (the beautiful prisms) are
ectodermal derived Lamina
 Dentine, pulp, cementum are ‘mesodermal’
type cells
Lamina Stage
Basement membrane
 Between weeks 5 and 6 – 37days
 Formation of epithelial band in oral mucosa
o Thickens due to increased cell division of ectoderm ‘Tooth’
lining oral cavity
o In 2 horseshoe shaped bands of epithelia (future
maxillary and mandibular)  Notes: This is one slice through the whole mouth. This
 Bands invade the underlying ectomesenchyme ectodermal cell population has divided and pushed their way
o Almost immediately branch into inverted “Y” shape down. They have two choices – to make a big lump or push
o Base of Y attached to epithelial surface while arms down into the underlying CT.
embedded in ectomesenchyme  Basement membrane: an amorphous extracellular layer
o 2 arms: closely applied to the basal surface of epithelium and also
 Vestibular lamina: closest to cheek/lips forms investing muscle cells, fat cells, and Schwann cells; thought to
buccal sulcus be a selective filter and to serve both structural and
 Dental lamina: invades deeper to form basis of morphogenetic functions; separates two cell populations from
development of teeth different embryological origins.
 
Edited 8th Nov 08

Bud Stage o Stratified cells within the dental organ diff Stratum
Intermedium (SI)
 Increased mitotic activity around invading end becomes
 Specialized cells tt help synthetic activity of IEE
apparent.
o Outermost layer of dental organ becomes short
o Greater density of cells causes a “bud” like form at each
cuboidal  diff OEE
location of a tooth (10points in each jaw)
o Between the OEE and SI is the Stellate Reticulum (SR)
o Cells immediately adjacent to the basal lamina (tt
 Diff and begin to synthesize & secrete
separates the ectodermal cells from ectomesenchyme)
glycosaminoglycans into extracellular
becomes cuboidal
compartments
o Those at the centre of the bud become more
 Are hydrophilic &pull water in, pushing
polyhedral
cells apart
 Increase in intracellular fluid
 Bound by desomosomes and become
Cap Stage “star” shaped, hence “stellate”

 Enamel organ forms a “cap” like shape over the dental papilla
o Condensation of ectomes. around base  will form
dentine, pulp (dental papilla)
o Migration + proliferation of ectomes.  will form
enamel (dental organ)
 Ectomes Dental organ (forms enamel)
o Ectomesenchyme tt surround the dental organ
undergoes increased mitotic activity  forming dental
follicle Cap
o Dental follicle cells form cementum, alveolar bone,
periodontal ligament
Dental papilla
 Cell Differentiation  (forms dentine and pulp)
o Inner most layer cells of dental organ (nearest to 
dental papilla)
 Become cuboidal and #of synthetic organelles
incr diff  IEE
Edited 8th Nov 08
Bell Stage
 Four layers continue to be differentiated
 The tooth crown assumes its final shape
 Cells that will be making the hard tissues of the crown
(ameloblasts and odontoblasts) acquire their distinctive
phenotype
 Dental papilla cells adjacent to the basement membrane begin
differentiation  odontoblasts
 Final shape of each tooth determined by the junction formed
between the IEE and odontoblasts (DEJ)
 Cervical loop is formed
o Where IEE and OEE meet
o IEE cells here trigger construction of dentine and root
of a tooth
o Cells killed after they send the trigger
 Essential to tooth formation
 Dental papilla like cervical loop
o Ectomesenchyme derived
 Dental lamina disintegrates
o Separating oral cavity from tooth
 Allowing continual tooth development
separated from oral epithelium
o Result is discrete clusters of epithelial cells which
normally degenerate but some that persist are called
epithelial pearls
 May form cysts/give rise to odontomata
o Before tooth can function must re-establish connection
and penetrate oral epithelium to reach occlusal plane
Histodifferentiation into 4 distinct layers:
 OEE:
¤ Its epithelial cells are low cuboidal w/ little cytoplasm
¤ Cytoplasm contains free ribosomes, few RER, some
mitochondria and tonofilaments
¤ Semi-permeable membrane
¤ maintains shape of enamel organ against
mesenchymal tissue
¤ ectoderm derived
¤ cells run along the outside and seals off developing
tooth from adjacent mesenchyme
¤ ectodermal derived
 Stellate Reticulum (SR) *Stellate: stars
¤ Tiny cells – star shaped
¤ Desmosomes connect these cells together, to OEE and
to SI
¤ secretes extracellular material (glycosaminoglycans
and collagen), holds space that enamel grows into
¤ Also acts as a nutrient supply (nutrients stored
between cells) to the SI which passes useful
substances onto IEE
¤ Nutrients passed to IEE is used for construction of
enamel
¤ Ectodermal derived
 Stratum Intermedium (SI)
¤ Epithelial cells between IEE and SR differentiate to
form SI
¤ Connected to each other, to SR and to IEE by
desmosomes
¤ Cytoplasm has usual complement of organelles and
tonofilaments
¤ overlying the IEE
Edited 8th Nov 08

¤ supports IEE in protein synthesis and controls what is

able to reach IEE (manages enviro for IEE cells)
¤ considered with the IEE as a single functional unit
responsible for formation of enamel
¤ ectodermal derived
 IEE
¤ Short columnar, centrally placed nucleus
¤ Cytoplasm has free ribosomes, few RER, evenly
dispersed mitochondria, some tonofilaments, poorly
developed golgi complex situated toward SI and high
glycogen content
¤ ameloblasts which go on to form enamel
 constructs crystals
¤ ectomesenchyme derived
Other parts:
 Cervical Loop
¤ region where IEE meets OEE
¤ point where cells continue to divide until tooth crown
attains its full size
¤ after crown formation gives rise to epithelial
component of root formation
 Dental Papilla
o Separated from the dental organ by a basement
membrane
o Cells appear as undifferentiated mesenchymal cells
 Uncomplicated structure – usual organelles
o Referred to as the pulp when first calcified matrix
appears at the cuspal tip of the bell stage
 Dental Follicle
o Many more collagen fibrils occupy the extracellular
spaces btwn the follicular fibroblasts than in dental
papilla
 Dental papilla changes  short columna/ high
glycogen content