Studies In Tooth Development: The Growth Pattern Of Human Teeth

Abstract

i n t r o d u c t i o n T H E human tooth is an organ of mastication consisting o f a number of specialized structures. These m ay be classified into three grou ps: 1. T h e propriodontal structures (en­ amel and dentin), which are peculiarly characteristic of the tooth, similar tissues not being found elsewhere in the body. 2. T he pulp (the formative organ of the dentin). 3. T h e parodontal structures (cemen-tum, alveolar bone, periodontal mem­ brane and gingivae), the supporting and investing structures o f the teeth. The L ife Cycle of the Tooth.— The tooth as a living functional organ passes through the following developmental stages in a harmonious and sequential manner (Fig. 1) : 1. Growth. A. Initiation of development. B. Proliferation o f the tooth germ from the oral epithelium and subja­ cent mesenchyme. C . Histodifferentiation o f the form a­ tive cells of the tooth germ. D. Apposition of the tissue matrix by the formative cells. 2. Calcification of the deposited m a­ trix.