INTERMEDIATE CEMENTUM - DEVELOPMENT, STRUCTURE, COMPOSITION, AND POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS

In the roots and root analogs of mammalian teeth a narrow zone of high ly calcified tissue occupies the junction between cementum and dentin. This zone is referred to as ''intermediate cementum,'' despite eviden ce that it is not a product of cementogenesis (or of dentinogenesis). Studies conducted on teeth of human and nonhuman primates indicate tha t the intermediate cementum layer contains enamel matrix proteins and is likely a product of Hertwig's epithelial root sheath. The available evidence regarding the development (origin), structure, and compositi on of intermediate cementum is reviewed, and the potential functions o f this layer are assessed to include a possible role in wound healing.