Dental formation: morphogenetic aspects and relationship with the development of dental anomalies

Abstract

The odontogenesis comprises a series of cellular and molecular events that culminate in highly coordinated with the formation of teeth. The process requires reciprocal interactions of oral epithelium with mesenchyme, whose operation involves contacts intercellular interactions mediated by components of the extracellular matrix and inductions cell-to-cell by inducing factors. Several molecules are responsible for regulating the process, noteworthy among which the transcription factors, growth factors and extracellular matrix components. This paper aims to discuss the odontogenesis, including the main phenomena occurring in each of its steps and addressing the role of some molecules related to regulation of the process, and correlate with the origin of odontogenic cysts and tumors.