Development of teeth

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A low power micrograph of a section through the lower jaw of an embryo. The tongue is visible at the
upper right and Meckel's cartilage (the round structure) at the lower right. Several spicules of bone,
oral mucosa, and the dental lamina are visible near the center of the micrograph. This section passes
through a tooth bud, which is a further extension of the dental lamina into the mesenchyme around
this very early tooth germ.
Meckel's cartilage is the cartilage of the first branchial arch, providing support during development of
the mandible. It disappears later in development, essentially making no contribution to the mandible.
Remnants of Meckel's cartilage form themalleus of the middle ear, the sphenomalleolar ligament and
the sphenomandibular ligament.

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A higher magnification of the oral epithelium and dental lamina, which extends into the underlying
mesenchyme. Irregularly-shaped spicules of bone can be seen near the bottom of the slide.

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Oral mucosa (above), dental lamina (right), and vestibular lamina (left) are present. The vestibular
lamina eventually will split, forming the primitive vestibule of the mouth (the space between lips or
cheeks and the tooth-bearing areas of the jaws).

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An early cap-stage tooth bud and the adjacent vestibular lamina. The mesenchyme adjacent to the
tooth bud is beginning to condense (the cells are closer together than in the surrounding areas).
Spicules of bone are present at the bottom of the slide.

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A higher magnification of an early cap stage tooth bud. Notice the beginning condensation of
mesenchymal cells that will form the dental papilla, and the beginning of the organization of the
mesenchyme that forms the dental sac or follicle, surrounding the tooth bud.

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A later cap stage tooth bud. The cells around the cervical margin are proliferating, lengthening the cap
and further enveloping the dental papilla. The cluster of inner enamel epithelial cells bulging into the
stellate reticulum at the center of the tooth germ is the enamel knot, an important signaling center
during early tooth development.

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A bell stage tooth germ. The outline of the definitive shape of the dentinoenamel junction is now
established by the dental papilla and the inner enamel epithelium. The stellate reticulum and the outer
enamel epithelium can be distinguished. The stratum intermedium is not clearly visible at this low
magnification.

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Drawings of the cap and bell stages of tooth germ development (above) and the appearance of these
stages in sections (below).

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Photomicrograph of a deciduous tooth germ in the late bell stage. The dental lamina is still attached to
the oral epithelium. The bud of the permanent successor of this deciduous tooth can be seen
projecting from the lamina at the lingual side of the tooth germ. Identify outer enamel epithelium,
stellate reticulum, inner enamel epithelium and dental papilla. The clear zone internal to the inner
enamel epithelium is probably the pale-staining cytoplasm of pre-odontoblasts which are becoming
columnar.

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Photomicrograph of a tooth germ in the late bell or early crown stage; matrix apposition has begun at
the incisal tip. Identify outer enamel epithelium, stellate reticulum, inner enamel epithelium, enamel,
dentin, predentin, odontoblasts, dental papilla and dental sac. The tongue is at the upper right and the
lip with developing minor salivary glands is at the upper left.

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Higher magnification of the cusp tip of a tooth germ at a similar stage of development. Enamel and
dentin formation are underway. The dental papilla with its odontoblasts is below. It is surrounded by a
lightly stained layer of predentin. External to the predentin is a reddish-purple layer of mineralized
dentin. External to the dentin is a darker purple layer of enamel matrix, which is covered by a layer of
tall ameloblasts. The flattened cells of the stratum intermedium can be seen external to the
ameloblasts. The stellate reticulum and an indistinct outer enamel epithelium also can be seen. The
next five slides are higher magnifications of this tooth germ, beginning at the cervical loop (which is
not visible in this picture) and ending at the cusp tip.

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The cervical loop of the epithelial enamel organ projects downward near the center of this slide. The
dental papilla is at the left, and the dental sac at the right. Identify the layers of the epithelial enamel
organ.

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An area nearer the cusp tip than the previous slide. Identify pre-odontoblasts, the inner enamel
epithelium, and the stellate reticulum which is separated from the epithelium by an artifactual space.
Note that this slide and the previous slide are some distance apart, so that the total stellate reticulum
and the outer enamel epithelium are no longer in the field.

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Identify the components of the epithelial enamel organ, the odontoblasts, and the very earliest
predentin.

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Again, identify the components (three in this slide) of the epithelial enamel organ, predentin,
mineralized dentin (but demineralized in order to prepare this section), the odontoblasts, and the
primitive dental pulp. Note the increase in height and the change in position of the nuclei of the cells
of the inner enamel epithelium, which are now becoming preameloblasts. The earliest deposition of
enamel matrix appears as a dark line between the mineralized dentin and the ameloblasts.

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In this slide of the cusp tip, identify the components indicated on the previous three slides, as well as
enamel matrix. The slightly irregular surface of the enamel matrix close to the cusp tip reflects the
development of Tomes' processes at the distal ends of the ameloblasts.

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Low power micrograph of a section through a developing posterior tooth. The dental papilla is at the
left, the epithelial enamel organ and dental sac are at the right, and forming dentin and enamel are
present between secretory ameloblasts and odontoblasts in the upper half of the field. Deposition and
mineralization of the dentin by differentiated odontoblasts begins at about the middle of the field. Note
the collapse of the stellate reticulum and merging of the outer layers of the enamel organ to form the
papillary layer adjacent to the ameloblasts.

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Higher magnification micrograph of a region similar to that shown in the previous slide. Odontoblast
differentiation, deposition of predentin and dentin mineralization (indicated by basophilic staining of
the dentin) are seen at left center. Differentiation of secretory ameloblasts from the inner enamel
epithelium begins near the bottom of the field, and deposition of enamel matrix begins just above the
center of the field. (There is an artifactual separation of the enamel and dentin matrices.) The collapse
of the enamel organ to form the papillary layer occurs near the point where dentin mineralization
begins, which limits the diffusion of nutrients from the dental papilla to the ameloblasts. Note the
blood vessels in the dental sac extending toward the papillary layer.