Development of the dentition: four-dimensional visualization and open questions concerning the morphogenesis of tooth form and occlusion.
OBJECTIVE
The formation of the dental primordial should be visualized with special reference to characteristic differences for each single primordium. Until today, it has not been clear how traffic of the ameloblasts is controlled, how the folding pattern of the occlusal relief is generated or how the enamel production is terminated at the enamel surface.


METHODS
Using computer-aided reconstructions from histological serial sections, the dental primordial were visualized and, using fractured enamel specimens, the traces of each single ameloblast were followed by means of scanning electron microscopy. In this way, the developmental movements of the inner enamel epithelium can be reconstructed.


RESULTS
Gathering morphological knowledge, three-dimensional polygon sets of shape data were input into a computer workstation and animated by means of the software Soft Image (Microsoft).


CONCLUSIONS
The development of the human primary and permanent dentition was animated to simulate growth.
Radlanski
R J
RJ
Department of Experimental Dentistry, Benjamin Franklin University Clinic at Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. ralfj.radlanski@medizin.fu-berlin.de
D000565:Ameloblasts / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000196:embryology; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009805:Odontogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D014070:Tooth / Q000254:growth & development*; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000254:growth & development; D014083:Tooth Germ / Q000196:embryology*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000254:growth & development