Nerve and vascular formation

Frequently, nerves and blood vessels run parallel to each other in the body, and the formation of both usually takes place simultaneously and in a similar fashion. However, this is not the case for nerves and blood vessels around the tooth, because of different rates of development.

Nerve formation

Nerve fibers start to near the tooth during the cap stage of tooth development and grow toward the dental follicle. Once there, the nerves develop around the tooth bud and enter the dental papilla when dentin formation has begun. Nerves never proliferate into the enamel organ

Vascular formation

Blood vessels grow in the dental follicle and enter the dental papilla in the cap stage. Groups of blood vessels form at the entrance of the dental papilla. The number of blood vessels reaches a maximum at the beginning of the crown stage, and the dental papilla eventually forms in the pulp of a tooth. Throughout life, the amount of pulpal tissue in a tooth decreases, which means that the blood supply to the tooth decreases with age. The enamel organ is devoid of blood vessels because of its epithelial origin, and the mineralized tissues of enamel and dentin do not need nutrients from the blood.

MORPHOLOGY OF THE DECIDUOUS TEETH

Deciduous Anterior Teeth.

 -The primary anteriors are morphologically similar to the permanent anteriors.

-The incisors are relatively simple in their morphology.

-The roots are long and narrow.

-When compared to the permanent incisors, the mesiodistal dimension is relatively larger when compared to axial crown length

-At the time of eruption, mamelons are not present in deciduous incisors

-They are narrower mesiodistally than their permanent successors.

Soft Oral Tissues

Oral Mucosa

The oral mucosa consists mainly of two types of tissues: the oral epithelium, which consists of stratified, squamous epithelium, and the underlying connective tissue layer, known as the lamina propria.  There are three variations of oral mucosa.

A. Oral epithelium

1. Consists of stratified, squamous epithelium.

2. Four layers (Note: Cells mature as they progress from the deepest [basal] layer to the most superficial [cornified] layer) a. Basal layer (stratum germinativum or basale)

(1) A single layer of cuboidal or columnar cells overlying the lamina propria.

(2) Contains progenitor cells and thus provides cells to the epithelial layers above.

(3) Site of cell division (mitosis).

b. Prickle cell layer (stratum spinosum)

(1) Consists of several layers of larger, ovoid-shaped cells.

c. Granular layer (stratum granulosum)

(1) Cells appear larger and flattened.

(2) Granules (known as keratohyaline granules) are present in the cells.

(3) This layer is absent in nonkeratinized epithelium.

d. Cornified layer (stratum corneum, keratin, or horny layer)

(1) In keratinized epithelium:

(a) Orthokeratinized epithelium the squamous cells on the surface appear flat and contain keratin. They have no nuclei present.

(b) Parakeratinized epithelium the squamous cells appear flat and contain keratin; nuclei are present within the cells.

(2) In parakeratinized epithelium, both squamous cells without nuclei and cells with shriveled (pyknotic) nuclei are present.

(3) In nonkeratinized epithelium, the cells appear slightly flattened and contain nuclei.

B. Lamina propria

1. Consists of type I and III collagen, elastic fibers, and ground substance. It also contains many cell types, including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells, and a rich vascular and nerve supply.

2. Two layers:

a. Superficial, papillary layer

(1) Located around and between the epithelial ridges.

(2) Collagen fibers are thin and loosely arranged.

b. Reticular layer

(1) Located beneath the papillary layer.

(2) Collagen fibers are organized in thick, parallel bundles.

C. Types of oral mucosa

1. Masticatory mucosa

a. Found in areas that have to withstand compressive and shear forces.

b. Clinically, it has a rubbery, firm texture.

c. Regions: gingiva, hard palate.

2. Lining mucosa

a. Found in areas that are exposed to high levels of friction, but must also be mobile and distensible.

b. Clinically, it has a softer, more elastic texture.

c. Regions: alveolar mucosa, buccal mucosa, lips, floor of the mouth, ventral side of the tongue, and soft palate.

3. Specialized mucosa

a. Similar to masticatory mucosa, specialized mucosa is able to tolerate high compressive

and shear forces; however, it is unique in that it forms lingual papillae.

b. Region: dorsum of the tongue.

D. Submucosa

1. The connective tissue found beneath the mucosa . It contains blood vessels and nerves and may also contain fatty tissue and minor salivary glands.

2. Submucosa is not present in all regions of the oral cavity, such as attached gingiva, the tongue, and hard palate. Its presence tends to increase the mobility of the tissue overlying it.

E. Gingiva

1. The portion of oral mucosa that attaches to the teeth and alveolar bone.

2. There are two types of gingiva: attached and free gingiva. The boundary at which they meet is known as the free gingival groove .

a. Attached gingiva

(1) Directly binds to the alveolar bone and tooth.

(2) It extends from the free gingival groove to the mucogingival junction.

b. Free gingiva

(1) Coronal to the attached gingiva, it is not bound to any hard tissue.

(2) It extends from the gingival margin to the free gingival groove.

c. Together, the free and attached gingiva form the interdental papilla.

.F. Alveolar mucosa

1. The tissue just apical to the attached gingiva.

2. The alveolar mucosa and attached gingiva meet at the mucogingival junction .

G. Junctional epithelium

1. Area where the oral mucosa attaches to the tooth, forming the principal seal between the oral cavity and underlying tissues.

2. Is unique in that it consists of two basal lamina, an internal and external . The internal basal lamina, along with hemidesmosomes, comprises the attachment apparatus (the epithelial attachment). This serves to attach the epithelium directly to the tooth.

3. Histologically, it remains as immature, poorly differentiated tissue. This allows it to maintain its ability to develop hemidesmosomal attachments.

4. Has the highest rate of cell turnover of any oral mucosal tissue.

H. Interdental papilla (interdental gingiva)

1. Occupies the interproximal space between two teeth. It is formed by free and attached gingiva.

2. Functions to prevent food from entering the (interproximal) area beneath the contact point of two adjacent teeth. It therefore plays an important role in maintaining the health of the gingiva.

3. Col

a. If the interdental papilla is cross-sectioned in a buccolingual plane, it would show two peaks (buccal and lingual) with a dip between them, known as the col or interdental col. This depression occurs around the contact point of the two adjacent teeth.

b. Histologically, col epithelium is the same as junctional epithelium

FORMATION OF THE PERMANENT DENTITION

Twenty deciduous tooth buds are formed initially.
Proliferative activity of the dental lamina during the bell stage that leads to formation of permanent tooth buds (cap stage) lingual of each deciduous tooth germ.
Molars have no predecessors; they are formed by posterior proliferation of the dental lamina.

HARD TISSUE FORMATION

Hard tissue formation starts at the late stages of the bell stage.
Differentiatioin of cells into odontoblasts and ameloblasts.
The cells of the inner dental epithelium will become ameloblasts.
The cells of the dental papilla opposite to the inner dental epithelium will become odontoblasts.
Dentin is formed before enamel.
Dentin initiates the formation of enamel.

ROOT FORMATION

The root of the tooth is composed by dentin and cementum.
Dentinogenesis is initiated by the odontoblasts.
Odontoblasts are formed as epithelial cells continue to proliferate from the cervical loop as a double layer of cells known as Hertwig's root sheath.

TOOTH SHAPE

The shape of the crowns results from the interaction of inner dental epithelium and the dental papilla.
The cells of the inner dental epithelium have a programmed proliferation.
This internal program determines the tooth form.

The fate of the dental lamina

Rests of Serres
The rest of Serres are rests of the dental lamina identified in the gingival soft tissues.
They are round to ovoid aggregates of epithelial cells that have clear cytoplasm (glucogen rich).
They result from early breakup of the dental lamina during bell stage.

Rests of Malassez
The rests of Malassez result from breakup of the Hertwig's root sheath during root formation.
They can be identified in the periodontal ligament and are responsible for the development of radicular cysts.

Development of occlusion.

A. Occlusion  usually means the contact relationship in function. Concepts of occlusion vary with almost every specialty of dentistry.

Centric occlusion is the maximum contact and/or intercuspation of the teeth.

B. Occlusion is the sum total of many factors.

1. Genetic factors.

-Teeth can vary in size. Examples are microdontia (very small teeth) and macrodontia (very large teeth). Incidentally, Australian aborigines have the largest molar tooth size—some 35% larger than the smallest molar tooth group

-The shape of individual teeth can vary (such as third molars and the upper lateral incisors.)

-They can vary when and where they erupt, or they may not erupt at all (impaction).

-Teeth can be congenitally missing (partial or complete anodontia), or there can be extra (supernumerary) teeth.

-The skeletal support (maxilla/mandible) and how they are related to each other can vary considerably from the norm.

2. Environmental factors.

-Habits can have an affect: wear, thumbsucking, pipestem or cigarette holder usage, orthodontic appliances, orthodontic retainers have an influence on the occlusion.

3.Muscular pressure.

-Once the teeth erupt into the oral cavity, the position of teeth is affected by other teeth, both in the same dental arch and by teeth in the opposing dental arch.

-Teeth are affected by muscular pressure on the facial side (by cheeks/lips) and on the lingual side (by the tongue).

C. Occlusion constantly changes with development, maturity, and aging.

1 . There is change with the eruption and shedding of teeth as the successional changes from deciduous to permanent dentitions take place.

2. Tooth wear is significant over a lifetime. Abrasion, the wearing away of the occlusal surface reduces crown height and alters occlusal anatomy.

Attrition of the proximal surfaces reduces the mesial-distal dimensions of the teeth and significantly reduces arch length over a lifetime.

Abraision is the wear of teeth by agencies other than the friction of one tooth against another.

Attrition is the wear of teeth by one tooth rubbing against another

3. Tooth loss leaves one or more teeth without an antagonist. Also, teeth drift, tip, and rotate when other teeth in the arch are extracted.

Pulp

1. Four zones—listed from dentin inward

a. Odontoblastic layer

(1) Contains the cell bodies of odontoblasts.

Note: their processes remain in dentinal tubules.

(2) Capillaries, nerve fibers, and dendritic cells may also be present.

b. Cell-free or cell-poor zone (zone of Weil)

(1) Contains capillaries and unmyelinated nerve fibers.

c. Cell-rich zone

(1) Consists mainly of fibroblasts. Macrophages, lymphocytes, and dendritic cells may also be present.

d. The pulp (pulp proper, central zone)

(1) The central mass of the pulp.

(2) Consists of loose connective tissue, larger vessels, and nerves. Also contains fibroblasts and pulpal cells.

2. Pulpal innervation

a. When pulpal nerves are stimulated, they can only transmit one signal pain.

b. There are no proprioceptors in the pulp.

c. Types of nerves:

(1) A-delta fibers

(a) Myelinated sensory nerve fibers.

(b) Stimulation results in the sensation of fast, sharp pain.

(c) Found in the coronal (odontoblastic) area of the pulp.

(2) C-fibers

(a) Unmyelinated sensory nerve fibers.

(b) Transmits information of noxious stimuli centrally.

(c) Stimulation results in pain that is slower, duller, and more diffuse in nature.

(d) Found in the central region of the pulp.

(3) Sympathetic fibers

(a) Found deeper within the pulp.

(b) Sympathetic stimulation results in vasoconstriction of vessels.