Molecular regulatory mechanism of tooth root development

Abstract

The root is crucial for the physiological function of the tooth, and a healthy root allows an artificial crown to function as required clinically. Tooth crown development has been studied intensively during the last few decades, but root development remains not well understood. Here we review the root development processes, including cell fate determination, induction of odontoblast and cementoblast differentiation, interaction of root epithelium and mesenchyme, and other molecular mechanisms. This review summarizes our current understanding of the signaling cascades and mechanisms involved in root development. It also sets the stage for de novo tooth regeneration.

Microscopic analysis of molar–incisor malformation

“…1 The dental papilla differentiates into odontoblasts and forms dentin and pulp, and the Hertwig root sheath is associated with the number of roots and their morphology. 1,2 However, as with the mechanism underlying crown formation, the way in which root formation occurs has yet to be established.…”

Subocclusal dental morphology of sahelanthropus tchadensis and the evolution of teeth in hominins

“…The observed unsynchronized evolution therefore strongly suggests that changes in some of the genes coding for the shape of the crown did not result in change of the morphology of the roots of canine; this observation may mean that these genes do not code for the shape of the root. This hypothesis has already been proposed in other mammals (e.g., Shimizu 1995) and is supported by results on the molecular control of differentiation of odontoblasts and cementoblasts (Tummers et al, 2003;Huang et al, 2012).…”

Comparative Gene Expression Analysis of the Coronal Pulp and Apical Pulp Complex in Human Immature Teeth

“…Some authors have suggested that SFRP4 modulates Wnt gene signals in the pregnant uterus (34). Wnt signaling is essential to tooth crown development, from initiation to the early bell stage, but Wnt expression is barely detectable during root development (2,35). SFPR4 might be associated with tooth root development via a Wnt signaling inhibitor.…”

“…HERS is associated with the number of roots and their morphology (2). The stem cells from the apical papilla appear to be the source of odontoblasts that are responsible for the formation of root dentin.…”