ABSTRACT
The tooth originates from an interaction between epithelial and ectomesenchymal cells which differentiate into an enamel organ and a dental papilla. During the mineralization of the tooth germs a very high alkaline phosphatase has been demonstrated in the subodontoblastic layer and the stratum intermedium, which is thought to stimulate the mineralization. Vitamin D deficiency during the pre-eruptive period of the tooth formation leads to hypoplasia of the dental enamel, although the enamel seems to be more resistant against the deficiency than bone or dentin possibly because vitamin D is more correlated with phosphate metabolism. When the crown has been fully mineralized, the tooth erupts by the formation of the root. The apex formation is the result of an interaction of the odontoblasts and fibroblasts of the bone. After tooth eruption, as well as after cleaning of the dental enamel, glycoproteins from the saliva adhere to the enamel and change in composition to the so-called acquired pellicle.
