Development of

face and oral Cavity

Dr Jamal Naim
PhD in Orthodontics
 Phases of Development
Embryogenesis is divided into three distinct phases
during the 280 days of gestation (composed of ten
28-day menstrual cycles):
• the preimplantation period (the first 7 days),
• the embryonic period (the next 7 weeks), and
• the fetal period (the next 7 calendar months).
 The start - Fertilization
Beginning of life for an individual human being is the
moment, when the sperm unites with the ovum and
forms a fertilized egg called zygote.
The process of fertilization occurs in the distal third of
the fallopian tubes.
 The preimplantation period
Following 3-5 days the ovum moves towards the uterus.
The ovum undergoes a series of divisions and by
the time it enters the uterine cavity a solid mass of
cells, known as morula , has been formed.
 The preimplantation period
Shortly, a central cavity appears
inside the morula and the
cells form a fluid-filled ball
called the blastocyte, which
Embryoblast
becomes implanted in the
mucosa of the uterus.

the blastocyte
The preimplantation period
 The embryonic period
The wall of the blastocyte cavity
consists of a thin cell layer,
the trophoblast, which is
thickened at one site where a
small group of cells, the
embryoblast, bulges into the
cavity.

the blastocyte
 The embryonic period
About the 2nd week, the embryoblast differentiate into
a layer of ectoderm and endoderm.
Over the next few days, two small fluid-filled cavities
form in the embryoblast - the amniotic cavity and
the yolk sac, the walls of which are in contact.
 The embryonic period
The circular contact area consists of a layer of
ectoderm towards the amniotic cavity and a layer
of endoderm towards the yolk sac and constitutes
the bilaminar embryonic disc.
Only the embryonic disc will give rise to the
embryo, while the remaining structures of the
cavities develop into fetal membranes.
 The embryonic period
By the end of the 2nd week of development an
endodermal thickening known as the prechordal
plate is seen at the cephalic (head) end of the now
oval-shaped embryonic disc. The prechordal plate is
believed to perform a head-organizing function.
This plate is firmly attached to the overlying ectodermal
germ layer and the whole becomes the future
bucco-pharyngeal membrane.
The embryonic period
 The embryonic period
During the 3rd week of development a narrow groove,
called the primitive streak, appears at the caudal
(tail) end of the ectoderm layer facing the amniotic
cavity.
Cells of this layer then migrate along the surface of
the embryonic disc towards the primitive streak,
which they invaginate.
 The embryonic period
From here the cells spread
forward and laterally
between the
ectodermal and
endodermal layers and
form an intermediate
cell layer, the
mesoderm.
 The embryonic period
Each of the three germ layers gives rise to a number
of specific tissues and organs.
The cutaneous and neural systems develop from the
ectoderm.
The mesoderm gives rise to the cardiovascular
system, the locomotor system (bones and
muscles), connective tissues, and dental pulp.
 The embryonic period
The endoderm develops into the lining epithelium of
the respiratory system and of the alimentary canal
between the pharynx and the anus, as well as the
secretory cells of the liver and pancreas.
 The embryonic period
The formation of the central nervous system
starts as a thickened central plate within
the ectoderm layer in the cephalic end of
the embryo. Differentiated growth of this
plate - the neural plate - folds into a
neural groove.
 The embryonic period
The margins of the groove, the neural folds, become
elevated, approach each other, and fuse along
the midline.
 The embryonic period
This results in a tube-like structure, the neural tube.
The neural tube develops into the brain and the spinal
cord.
During the folding of the neural plate, a unique group
of cells develops from the ectoderm along each
edge of the neural groove. These cells are the
neural crest cells.
 The embryonic period
The neural crest cells that come to lie parallel to and
on either side of the neural tube undergo extensive
migration within the developing embryo.
 The embryonic period
The neural crest cells undergo differentiation into
many different cell and tissue types .
The neural crest-derived mesenchyme in the head
and neck - often called the ectomesenchyme -
contributes to branchial arch, cartilages, bone,
connective tissue proper and dental tissues such
as pulp, dentine, cementum and periodontal
ligament.
 The embryonic period
During the 3rd and 4th weeks of
development the ectoderm and
neural tube grow extensively and
produce two pronounced
cephalocaudal flexions of the flat
embryonic disc, one in the region of
the buccopharyngeal membrane and
the other in the region of the cloacal
membrane.
 The embryonic period
During this growth process the
buccopharyngeal membrane
becomes inverted and comes to
lie on the ventral aspect of the
so-called head fold.
Here it is located in a depression
known as the stomodeum, the
primitive oral cavity.
 The embryonic period
The entrance of the newly formed
stomodeum is a wide opening
bounded cranially by the frontal
prominence of the bulging forebrain
and caudally by the pericardial
swelling.
 The embryonic period
The buccopharyngeal membrane,
forming the floor of the stomodeum,
ruptures at the end of the 3rd week of
development and disappears during
week 4. In this way communication is
established between the stomodeum
and the cranial end of the foregut, the
pharynx.
 The embryonic period
At about the same time a stream of migrating neural
crest cells is responsible for the formation of the
frontonasal process, a swelling of tissue in front of
the forebrain.
Another stream of neural crest cells migrates towards
the lateral aspect of the head where they surround
the mesodermal cores in the arising branchial
arches.
 The embryonic period
Both the frontonasal process and the branchial
arches play a large
part in the formation
of the face and the
oral cavity.
 The embryonic period
The branchial (or pharyngeal) arches comprise six
paired bar-like thickenings formed from the lateral
plate mesoderm between the ectoderm and
endoderm.
 The embryonic period
They expand ventrally from the lateral side of the
pharynx, intervene between the stomodeum and
the developing heart, and finally meet in the
midline.
 The embryonic period
The first and second pair of arches, named the
mandibular and hyoid, are more prominent than the
others, specially the fifth and sixth.
Frontonasal prominence
Nasal placode

Maxillary process

1. Pharyngeal arch
(mandibular)
2. Pharyngeal arch
(hyoid arch)
3. Pharyngeal arch
4. And 6. Pharyngeal arch

Developing heart
 The embryonic period
Deep furrows in which the ectoderm and endoderm
are in contact separate the branchial arches.
The external furrows, on the lateral surface of the
embryo, are called the branchial grooves, and the
internal ones, along the lateral wall of the
pharynx, are the pharyngeal pouches.
The embryonic period

groove
pouch

groove
pouch
 The embryonic period
Each branchial arch contains a cartilaginous and
muscular component, a nerve and an artery.
The skeletal element, the arch cartilage, is derived from
the neural crest mesenchyme, while the mesoderm
of the arches gives rise to striated muscle cells.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FACE
 Formation of the face
The face derives from five prominences that surround the
stomodeum.
The prominences are:
• the single median frontonasal
prominence and
• the paired maxillary prominences
• and mandibular prominences;
(derivatives of the first
pharyngeal arch)
 Formation of the face
Tissues from the mandibular arches form all the lower
face and most of the midface while the other pairs
of arches, including branchial grooves and
pharyngeal pouches, are involved mainly in the
formation of the neck region.
 Formation of the face
The mesenchyme beneath the
ectodermal thickenings rapidly
proliferate, causing a tissue
elevation around the placode.
Each nasal placode possesses
an outer lateral nasal and an
inner medial nasal swelling.
 Formation of the face
In the fifth week, the lateral and medial nasal swellings
enlarge rapidly, with the medials advancing toward
one another and eventually fusing.
 Formation of the face
The maxillary prominence is dimensionally not
impressive early in development.
With medial growth of its terminals and broadening of
its other borders, the maxillary
prominence presses onto the
nasal swellings forcing their
medial and lateral arms closer
together.
 Formation of the face
During the following week, the medial and lateral
nasal swellings unite and merge with the maxillary
process.
The line of fusion of the maxillary
process with the lateral nasal
swelling is marked by a trough,
the nasolacrimal groove.
 Formation of the face
The union of the medial nasal swellings forms the
intermaxillary process of the maxillary arch.
The intermaxillary process produces the philtrum of
the lip, the segment of the maxilla bearing the
incisor teeth, and the primary
palate.

Fused
palatal
process
 Formation of the face
The lateral nasal prominences give rise to the wings
or alae of the nose.
The medial nasal processes produce the inferior
segment of the nasal septum.
 Formation of the face
By the end of the fourth week, the two mandibular
prominences have grown towards one another and
merged.
The mandible, the lower lip, the lower portion of the
cheek, the chin, and the gingiva take their origins
from the mandibular prominences.
The maxillary process gives rise to the lateral portions
of the upper lip and cheeks, the maxilla, and the
secondary palate with its associated gingiva.