ORAL EMBRYOLOGY AND

HISTOLOGY

Dr. Ebtisam
ElHamalawy
MFDS RSC (Edh.), MJDF RSC
(Lon.), BDS (Misr International
University)
GERM LAYERS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES
 Malformations
 Autosomal dominant inheritance –
gene inherited from one parent,
transmitted to statistically half
the children e.g. Cledio. Dyostosis,
achondroplasia, osteogenesis
imperfecta, amelogenesis imperfecta.
 Autosomal recessive inheritance –
gene expresses itself when inherited
from both parents e.g. microcephaly,
cystic fibrosis
 GENERAL FEATURES
 Sperm and egg fuse to form a zygote
 Zygote – 22 pairs of autosomes (44)
and 1 pair of sex chromosomes (XX
female, XY male). Total chromosomes
– 46.
 If one gamete has 23 chromosomes
and another 24 then 47 chromosomes
result with TRISOMY of an autosome
(e.g. Down’s syndrome).
 PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
 Three stages
 First two – embryonic stage
 Third – fetal stage
 First stage – first four weeks,
cell proliferation and migration
 Second stage – next four weeks,
differentiation (morphogenesis),
many congenital defects
 Third stage –growth and maturation,
fetus.
 Egg >Morula > Blastocyst

Blastocyst

Trophoblast cells Embryobalst

(formation of placenta) (embryo)

Epiblast Hyphoblast
(ectodermal layer) (endodermal layer)
 EVENTS
 Three layered embryo formed at
the end of the first three weeks
of development
 During the next 3-4 weeks
morphodifferentiation (tissue
and organ development)
 Head, face and tissues
contributing to the teeth
develop
Cary Bopiah
 NEURAL CREST CELLS
 With formation of the neural tube, a group of cells
separate from the neuroectoderm (neural crest
mesenchyme)
 They form at the crest of the neural folds hence
the name neural crest cells
 Embryonic connective tissue derived from mesoderm,
mesenchyme
 In the head, derived from ectomesenchyme,
neuroectoderm
 Main feature is migration and this is essential for
development of face and teeth
 All tissues of tooth derived from neural crest
cells (except enamel)
 Failure to migrate cause of mandibulofacial
dysostosis.
Cary Bopiah
DEVELOPMENT OF FACE
  One Frontonasal Process – Forms Med. Nasal process
Lat. Nasal process
Nasal pits
Philtrum

 Two Maxillary Processes - Forms Cheeks

Upper lips

 Two Mandibular Processes – Forms Chin

Jaws

 Stomodeum forms the mouth

DEVELOPMENT OF FACE
 Face develops between 24th and 38th day of gestation
 At 24 days the stomodeum is limted by the frontal
prominence cranially, laterally by the maxillary processes
and ventrally by the mandibular processes.
 At 28 days from the frontal prominence localized
thickenings develop – Olfactory Placodes
 Lateral arm – lateral nasal process
Medial arm – medial nasal process
Both surround a depressed area called the nasal pit
 Medial processes of both sides and the frontonasal process
give rise to
- middle portion of nose
- middle portion of upper lip
- anterior portion of maxilla
- primary palate
- incisor teeth
 Maxillary processes grow medially pushing the medial nasal
processes towards the midline and contribute to form the
upper lip bilaterally except the philtrum
 The junction of fusion between the maxillary processes and
the lateral nasal process canalizes to form the nasolacrimal
duct
Cary Bopiah
Cary Bopiah
Cary Bopiah
 Development of the
palate
 Between 7 and 8 weeks
 Oronasal cavity is bounded ant. by the
primary palate (frontonasal and med. nasal
processes)
 It is mainly occupied by the tongue
 Post. to primary palate the maxillary
process develops two shelves directed
downward on each side of the tongue
 7th week tongue withdrawn
 Shelves fuse with each other and the
primary palate
Cary Bopiah
 DNA synthesis stops 24-36 hrs before fusion
of epithelia of advancing maxillary shelves
 Epithelium seal formed
 Epithelial cells die, basal cells exposed,
glued to each other (two layered)
 Palatal growth exceeds the rate of division
of these cells
 Single seam – islands of epithelial cells-
transformation into fibroblasts like cells
 Persisting cells give rise to cysts,
Epstein pearls
DEVELOPMENT OF TONGUE
 Development starts at 4 weeks
 Mesenchyme of the first and
third arch
TONGUE

FIRST ARCH THIRD ARCH

Tuberculum impar Lingual swellings

Hypobranchial eminence
(midline) (flank the Tub. Impar)
(root of the tongue)
 Anterior two thirds – first
arch (Man. Div of V)
 Posterior thirds – third arch
(Glossopharyn. IX)
 Motor supply – XII cranial
nerve (hypoglossal)
DEVELOPMENT OF THE
MANDIBLE
 Membranous bone
 Bone formation starts at 6 weeks.
 Condensation of mesenchyme around the
cartilage of first arch (Meckel’s) and
the mand. br of V nerve.
 Meckel’s cartilage extends from
developing ear to midline on each side
 Mandibular nerve begins two-thirds along
length of Meckel’s cartilage
 Inf. alv and lingual div. run along med.
and lat. aspects of cartilage
 Inf. Alv n. futher divides into mental
and incisive nerve.
Cary Bopiah
 6 weeks centre of ossification at angle
of div of mental and incisive nerve
results from condensation of mesenchyme
 7 weeks – intramembranous bone formation
starts lateral to meckel’s cartilage
 Anteriorly to midline, posteriorly to
point of division of inf. alv and lingual
nerves
 Trough formed consisting of med. and lat.
cortical plates later forms a canal
 Tooth germs occupy secondary trough which
then grows around them to enclose it
Cary Bopiah
 Ramus - At posterior limit
bone condensation (of
mesenchyme) turns away from
Meckel’s cartilage, point of
divergence is the lingula
 10 weeks rudimentary mandible
formed by intramembranous
formation
 Fate of Meckel’s
cartilage
 Posterior extremity – malleus and
sphenomalleolar ligament
 From sphenoid to div of mandibular nerve
into inf. alv and lingual n. the cartilage
is lost, firbocellular cartilage persists
as sphenomandibular ligament
 From lingula to point of div into mental
and incisive nerve cartilage totally lost
 Ant. Segment may contribute to mandibular
bone by endochondral ossification
Secondary growth centres
1. Condylar cartilage - 12 to 20th
week, continued growth to 2nd
decade of life, persist in
adult life as a thin layer of
fibrocartilage
2. Coronoid cartilage – 16th week
3. Symphyseal cartilage –
anteriorly between the two ends
of Meckel’s cartilage
DEVELOPMENT OF MAXILLA
 Membranous bone
 Develops from area of condensation of
mesenchyme of maxillary process of first
arch
 No arch cartilage involved
 At angle of division of the infraorbital
nerve and anterior superior alveolar nerve,
centre of ossification from condensation of
mesenchyme
 Extension
Posteriorly towards zygoma below orbit
(floor), Anteriorly towards incisor region
Superiorly to form frontal process
 Bone trough for infraorbital nerve formed
 AT BIRTH
 MAXILLA has
- frontal process
- zygomatic process
- palatal process
- body
DEVELOPMENT OF MAXILLARY
SINUS
 16th week – shallow groove on
the nasal aspect of the
developing maxilla
 At birth the size of a pea
 Pneumatization of the body of
the maxilla results in a fully
grown maxillary sinus by the
age of 12-13 years
DEVELOPMENT OF TOOTH AND
SUPPORTING STRUCTURES
 Primary dentition initiated between the 6th
and 8th week
 Successional teeth between the 20th week
and 10th month after birth
 Permanent molars between 20th week and 5th
year after birth
 Stomodeum lined by epithelium (2-3 layers)
covering underlying connective tissue the
ectomesenchyme
 Bands of thickened epithelium – PRIMARY
EPITHELIAL BAND, form in the upper and
lower jaws
 Epithelial cells divide away from the
surface layer
 PRIMARY EPITHELIAL BAND

VESTIBULAR LAMINA DENTAL LAMINA

 Along the horse-shoe shaped
dental lamina, localized
proliferation occurs into the
underlying ectomesenchyme
corresponding to positions of
future deciduous teeth
(essentially the bud stage)
BUD STAGE

Epithelium

Ectomesenchyme
 As the epithelium continues to
proliferate into the
ectomesenchyme, their cellular
density increases adjacent to
the epithelium ingrowth
 The epithelial ingrowth
resembles a cap sitting on
condensed ectomesenchyme

Cary Bopiah
 Epithelial ingrowth Dental organ

(enamel)
 Condensed ectomesen. Dental
papilla

(dentin, pulp)
 Condensed mesenchyme limiting the dental
papilla and encapsulating the dental organ is
called the Dental Follicle (supporting
tissues of the tooth)

Cary Bopiah
Cary Bopiah
 BELL STAGE
 AS THE EPITHELIAL CAP DEEPENS
IT COMES TO RESEMBLE A BELL
WHICH NOW SITS ON THE
UNDERLYING MESENCHYME
 THE BELL STAGE IS CARACTERIZED
BY
- HISTODIFFERENTIATION
- MORPHODIFFERENTIATION
 STELLATE RETICULUM

- It is the centre of the enamel organ.

Cells secrete glycosoaminoglycans
(hydrophilic) attract water into
extracellular compartment
- Cells forced apart but retain
connections through their desmosomes and
appear star shaped
- these cells are also connected to the
outer dental epithelium and the stratum
intermedium by desmosomes
EXTERNAL OR OUTER DENTAL
EPITHELIUM

Cells at the periphery of the

enamel (dental organ) which
assume a cuboidal shape
 INTERNAL DENTAL EPITHELIUM
AND STRATUM INTERMEDIUM
 Cells adjacent to the dental papilla
differentiate histologically into two
different types
 Inner dental epithelium – those
immediately adjacent to the dental papilla
 Stratum intermedium – between the IDE
(inner dental epithelium) and SR (stellate
reticulum) the cells are characterized
with a high alkaline phosphotase activity.
 Inner and outer dental epithelium meet at
the cervical loop.
Cary Bopiah
 DENTAL PAPILLA IN BELL
STAGE
 Cells of the dental papilla remain
as the undifferentiated mesenchyme
and are separated by the enamel
organ by a basement membrane and a
cell-free zone or accellular zone
 The cells of the dental follicle
contain many collagen fibrils some
of which extend into the dental
papilla
 EVENTS
 The dental lamina joining the
tooth germ to the surface
epithelium break up into small
islands of epithelial cells,
hence the separation of the
tooth germ from the surface
epithelium
 The IDE folds to resemble the
future crown pattern
Cary Bopiah
Cary Bopiah
 DENTINOGENESIS
 Odontoblasts differentiate and
secrete an organic matrix of dentin,
collagen and ground substance which
eventually mineralizes
 Odontoblasts secrete and move away
towards centre of dental papilla as
organic matrix is deposited
 They leave a cytoplasmic extension as
they withdraw around which dentin is
formed
Cary Bopiah
Cary Bopiah
 AMELOGENESIS
 After the first dentin is formed, cells of
the IDE secrete an organic matrix that is
mineralised against the already laid down
dentin
 Cells of IDE receive nutrition from blood
vessels of dental papilla and those lying
outside the ODE.
 Stellate reticulum collapses as blood supply
from dental papilla cease as dentin is laid
down.
 Blood supply for nutrients now from blood
vessels outside ODE
 ROOT FORMATION
 From the cervical loop there is downward
proliferation of the IDE and EDE as a
double layer – Hertwig’s epithelial root
sheath
 These cells grow between the dental papilla
and the dental follicle
 It grows all-around the dental papilla
except where the future apical foramen will
be formed
 These initiate the DP to form dentin
 Root sheath is stretched and eventually
disintegrates to form the Epithelial rests
of Malassez
Formation of supporting
tissues
 As the root sheath disintegrates the
cells of the ectomesenchyme of the
dental follicle penetrate these
fenestrations differentiating into
cementoblasts and lay down cementum
against the forming dentin
 In the cementum are trapped the
collagen fibrils of the periodontal
ligament.
 The alveolar bone into which the PDL
fibres are embedded are also formed by
the dental follicle