EMBRYOLOGY OF FACIAL

TISSUES
DR SANA JAVED
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
You should be able to describe
• Development of Face, Tongue, Palate, Maxilla
and Mandible
• Clinical conditions related to development of
facial tissue
 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FACE
• It is controlled by the proliferation and migration
of ectomesenchyme involved in the formation of
the primitive nasal cavities
• Face develops between 24 and 28 day of gestation
• At about 28 day, localized thickenings develop
within the ectoderm of the frontal prominence
just rostral to the opening of the stomatodeum,
are called OLFACTORY PLACODES
• Proliferation of the underlying mesenchyme
around the placodes bulges the frontal
prominence forward and produces a horse-
shoe shaped ridge which converts the
olfactory placodes
Frontal
into the nasalpit. prominence
Medial nasal
Nasal pit process
Lateral nasal
process
Maxillary
process
Mandibular
process
 THE FACE OF 4 WEEK EMBRYO

A)- Frontonasal
process
B)- Mandibuar
processes
C)- Maxillary
processes
D)- Pericardial
swelling
• The lateral arm of the horse shoe is
called the lateral nasal process and the
medial arm is the medial nasal process.
• The region of the frontal prominence
where the nose will develop is referred
as the frontonasal process.
• The medial nasal processes of both sides
together with the fronto nasal process,
give rise to the middle portion of the
nose, middle portion of the upper lip,
anterior portion of the Maxilla, and the
primary palate
• Two mandibular processes merge to form
lower lip.
• Merging of two medial nasal processes forms
the maxillary portion of incisor teeth, primary
palate and part of the lip.
Medial nasal
process

Lateral nasal
process

Maxillary
process
Mandibular
process
• The maxillary process grows medially and
approaches the lateral and medial nasal
processes but remains separated from them
by distinct grooves, the nasolacrimalgroove.
THE FACE OF 6-WEEK OLD EMBRYO
• Proliferation and thickening of epithelium
at the inferior border of the maxillary
process and the superior border of
mandibular arch forms odontogenic
epithelium.
• Odontogenic epithelium also develop on
the lateral aspect of medial nasal process.
• The primary epithelial band is an arch-
shaped continuous plate of odontogenic
epithelium that forms in the upper jaw
&lower jaw.
 Frontal prominence
Maxillary process
Mandibular process

Odontogenic
epithelium
 CLINICAL CORRELATION
• Oblique facial cleft = Lack of fusion between
the maxillary process and lateral nasal process
• Median cleft lip = (harelip) Lack of fusion
between the two medial nasal processes
• Bilateral cleft lip = Lack of fusion between the
maxillary process and median nasal process
• Microstomia= Excessive merging of the
mandibular and maxillary processes
• Macrostomia = Failure of the maxillary and
mandibular processes to fuse
 Normal Unilateral cleft lip
(Common)

Bilateral cleft lip Median cleft lip

Oblique facial
Median cleft
cleft.

Lateral facial cleft Mandibular cleft

 DEVELOPMENT OF THE TONGUE
• It develops at 4th week.
• Pharyngeal arches meet in the midline beneath
the primitive mouth.
• Proliferation of mesenchyme gives rise to a
number of swellings in the floor of the mouth.
• First, a swelling (tuberculum impar) arises in the
mid line in the mandibular process and is flanked
by two other bulges, the lateral lingual swellings.
• These lateral lingual swellings enlarge and
merge with each other and the tuberculum
impar to form a large mass from which the
mucous membrane of anterior two third of
the tongue is formed.
• The root of the tongue arises from a large
midline swelling developed from the
mesenchyme of second, third & fourth arches
• This swelling consists of a copula (associated
with the second arch) and a large
hypobranchial eminence (associated with the
third and fourth arches).
 Lingual swellings

Tuberculum impar

Hypobranchial
eminence

Palatine
Epiglottis tonsil
• As the tongue develops, the hypobranchial
eminence overgrows the copula gives rise to the
mucosa of posterior third covering the root of the
tongue
• Tongue separates from the floor of the mouth by a
downgrowth of ectoderm around its periphery,
which degenerates to form the lingual sulcus and
gives mobility to the tongue.
• Muscles of tongue have different origin, they arise
from the occipital somites which have migrated
toward into the tongue area, carrying with them
their nerve supply (hypoglossal nerve)
• Anterior two third of tongue is supplied by
lingual branch of trigeminal nerve as mucosa
is derived from 1st arch while mucosa of
posterior third is derived from 3rd arch
&supplied by glassopharyngeal nerve
• Adult tongue is formed from 1st,3rd and 4th arch
 CLINICAL CORRELATION
• Ankyloglossia (Tongue-tie)= Occurs when
frenulum of tongue extends to the tip of the
tongue, thus preventing protrusion.
• Aglossia = Complete absence of tongue.
• Microglossia = Small sized tongue.
• Macroglossia = Large sized tongue.
• Bifid tongue = Failure of fusion between 2
lingual swellings.
 DEVELOPMENT OF PALATE

• Primary palate is formed from the frontonasal

and medial nasal processes.
• Primary palate develops as an intermaxillary
segment between maxillary processes of
developing jaw
• The premaxillary bones, which support four
maxillary teeth develop in the primary palate
• Common oronasal cavity is bounded anteriorly
by the primary palate.
 SECONDARY PALATE
• Between 7th & 8th weeks, formation of secondary palate
starts and completed at about 3rd month of gestation.
• Three outgrowths of maxillary prominence ( nasal septum
and two palatine shelves) appear in the oral cavity
• Nasal septum grows downward from the frontonasal
process along the midline.
• Palatine shelves also directed downward on each side of
the tongue,later attain horizontal position & fuse along
midpalatine raphe
• After 7th week, tongue is withdrawn between
the shelves, they elevate and fuse with each
other above the tongue and with the primary
palate.

Septum
Septum

Palatal shelf

Palatal shelf

Tongue Tongue

7 weeks 8 weeks
A) Palatine
shelves
B) Secondary
nasal septum
C) Midline
epithelium
D) Developing
bone of maxilla
• Nasal septum and shelves converge and fuse
along the midline, separating the primitive
oral cavity into oral and nasal cavities.

Septum
Palatal shelf

Tongue

9 WEEKS
• Closure of secondary palate proceeds
gradually from the primary palate in a
posterior direction.
• By displacement of the tongue between the
palatine shelves due to growth of the head.
• The primary & secondary palate fuse at the
incisive foramen to form the definitive adult
palate
• For fusion of the palatine shelves and fusion of
any other processes, elimination of the
epithelial covering of the shelves is necessary.
• The head is folded onto the developing
thoracic region and the tongue occupies an
elevated position between the palatine
shelves

At 9 weeks the head is raised so that the

At 7 weeks of development, the folded tongue not only is lowered but also has
head has the upper lip in front of the grown forward. The lower lip is now
lower lip, with the tongue elevated. slightly in front of the upper lip
 OSSIFICATION OF THE PALATE

• Starts in 8th week of intrauterine life.

• It is intramembranous.
• Ossifies from a single centre derived from
maxilla.
• Most posterior part of the palate does not
ossify
• Mid palatal suture ossifies by 12 to 14 years.
 CLINICAL CORRELATION
• Cleft palate can be anterior or posterior
• Anterior cleft palate= occurs when palatine
shelves fail to fuse with the primary palate
• Posterior cleft palate= occurs when palatine
shelves fail to fuse with each other and nasal
septum
• Anteroposterior cleft palate= Occurs when
there is a combination of both defects
 CLEFTS MAY RESULTS FROM
• Defective palatal shelf growth
• Failure of shelf elevation
• Lack of degeneration of midline epithelial
seam
 Normal Cleft of lip and alveolus

Cleft of lip and primary palate Unilateral cleft lip and palate
Bilateral cleft lip and primary palate Bilateral cleft lip and palate

Cleft palate only

 DEVELOPMENT OF MANDIBLE

• Meckel’s cartilage has a close positional

relationship to the developing mandible but
makes no contribution to it.
• At 6th week, developing mandible is preceded
as a solid hyaline cartilaginous rod, surrounded
by a fibro cellular capsule from otic capsule to
midline of the fused mandibular processes.
• Both side cartilages are separated by a thin
band of mesenchyme.
 Meckel’s
Tongue
cartilage
• The mandibular branch has a close
relationship to the Meckel’s cartilage.
• The mandibular nerve divides into lingual and
inferior alveolar branches, which run along the
medial and lateral aspects of the cartilage
• The inferior alveolar branch further divides
into incisive and mental branches more
anteriorly.
 Meckel’s cartilage

Mandibular nerve

Lingual branch

Inferior alveolar branch

Initial site of
osteogenesis

Mental branch
Incisive branch
• During the 6th week of development, on the lateral
aspect of the cartilage, condensation of
mesenchyme occurs in the angle formed by the
division of the inferior alveolar branches and its
incisor and mental branches.
• At 7th week, intramembranous ossification begins in
this condensation, at a site close to the future
mental foramen forming the first bone of mandible
• Bone formation spread from this centre of
ossification, anteriorly to the midline and
posteriorly towards the point of bifurcation of
lingual and inferior alveolar nerve.
• The two separate centers of ossification
remain separated at the symphasis until birth.
• A backward extension of ossification along the
lateral aspect of the Meckel's cartilage corresponds
to future a body of mandible
• Ramus of mandible develops by a rapid spread of
ossification posteriorly into the mesenchyme of the
1st arch, turning away from Meckel's cartilage.
Meckel’s Spine of
cartilage sphenoid
Perichondrium
becomes
sphenomandibular
ligament

Lingula
• By the10th weeks, the rudimentary mandible is
formed entirely by membranous ossification.
• Further mandibular growth until birth is strongly
influenced by the appearance of three secondarily
growth cartilages (condylar, coronoid and
symphyseal cartilages).
• Condylar cartilage appears during the 12th week
and rapidly forms a cone shaped mass occupying
most of the ramus and converting to bone by
endochondral ossification.Remains functioning upto
16th year of life
 Tongue
Dental
lamina

Meckel’s
cartilage

Developing
mandible
• Coronoid cartilage appears about 4th month of
development, surround the anterior border and top
of the coronoid process,Disappears long before
birth.
• Symphyseal cartilages appears in connective tissue
between the ends of Meckel's cartilage,Disappears
with in the first year after birth.
• Mandible is a membrane bone, developed in
relation to the nerve of the first arch and almost
entirely independent of Meckel’s cartilage.
• The mandible has neural, alveolar, and muscular
elements and its growth is assisted by the
development of secondary cartilages.
 DEVELOPMENT OF MAXILLA

• Develops from centre of ossification in the

mesenchyme of maxillary process of the 1st arch.
• No primary cartilage.
• Center of ossification appears during 8th week
close to the site of developing deciduous canine
tooth, at angle where anterosuperior dental
nerve is given off from the inferior orbital nerve.
• Centre of ossification is closely associated with
the cartilage of nasal capsule.
• As maxilla is positioned in developing skull so
its growth is influenced by the development of
the orbital, nasal and oral cavities
• From region of developing deciduous canine
ossification spreads throughout developing
maxilla into its growing processes (palatine,
zygomatic,frontal and alveolar)
• Ossification begins posteriorly below the orbit
towards the developing zygoma and anteriorly
towards the future incisor region, superiorly to form
frontal process.
Cartilage

Nerve

Developing
Bone

Tooth germ
• The deposition of bone results in the
formation of a bony trough for infra orbital
nerve.
• From this trough, a downward extension of
bone forms the lateral alveolar plate for the
tooth germs.
• Ossification spreads into the palatine process
to form hard palate
• Medial alveolar plate develops from the
junction of palatal process and main body of
the forming maxilla.
• Zygomatic or malar cartilage contributes to
the development of maxilla
At birth:
• Frontal process of maxilla is well marked, but the
body of the bone consists of little more than the
alveolar process containing the tooth germs and
small though distinguishable zygomatic and palatal
processes.
• The body of maxilla is small as maxillary sinus has
not developed.
• Sinus is about the size of small pea.
• Sinus forms during the 16th week as a shallow
groove on the nasal aspect of developing maxilla.
 SIMILARTIES B/W DEVELOPMENT OF
MAXILLA & MANDIBLE
• Single center of membranous ossification
related to a nerve
• Form a neural element related to the nerve
• Develop an alveolar element related to the
developing teeth.
 DISIMILARTIES B/W DEVELOPMENT OF
MAXILLA & MANDIBLE
• No primary cartilage in maxilla
• No secondary cartilages develops in maxilla