page_title: Pulp (tooth)
section_title: Development
hierarchical_section_title: Pulp (tooth) / Development
caption_attribution_description: English: A decalcified longitudinal section through a molar tooth stained with methylene blue. Note the enamel is not present and the cementum exhibits hypercementosis. www.sdeo.ac.uk virtual microscope “Tooth Longitudinal 5”
context_page_description: The pulp is the part in the center of a tooth made up of living connective tissue and cells called odontoblasts. The pulp is a part of the dentin–pulp complex. The vitality of the dentin-pulp complex, both during health and after injury, depends on pulp cell activity and the signaling processes that regulate the cell's behavior.
context_section_description: The pulp has a background similar to that of dentin, because both are derived from the dental papilla of the tooth germ. During odontogenesis, when the dentin forms around the dental papilla, the innermost tissue is considered pulp.
  There are 4 main stages of tooth development:
  1.Bud stage
  2.Cap stage
  3.Bell stage 
  4.Crown stage 
  The first signs of tooth development are known to be as early as 6th week of intrauterine life. The oral epithelium begins to multiply and invaginates into ectomesenchyme cells which gives rise to dental lamina. The dental lamina is the origin of tooth bud. The bud stage progresses onto cap stage when the epithelium forms the enamel organ.  The ectomesenchyme cells condenses further and becomes dental papilla. Together, the epithelial enamel organ and ectomesenchymal dental papilla and follicle form the tooth germ. The dental papilla is the origin of dental pulp. Cells at the periphery of the dental papilla undergo cell division and differentiation to becomes odontoblasts. Pulpoblasts forms in the middle of the pulp. This completes the formation of the pulp. The dental pulp is essentially a mature dental papilla. 
  The development of dental pulp can also be split into two stages:
  The coronal pulp development (near the crown of tooth) and root pulp development (apex of tooth).
  The pulp develops 4 regions from the periphery to the central pulp:
   Odontoblast layer
  Cell free  zone – likely to be an artefact
  Cell rich zone
  Pulp core
caption: SDEO: Dental pulp of a stained and decalcified tooth. [10]
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