Development of transplanted pulp tissue containing epithelial sheath into a tooth-like structure

The aim of these studies was to find out whether intact neonatal pulp tissu e containing residual epithelial cells can induce the development of a toot h-like structure in situ. First maxillary neonatal hamster molar pulps cont aining adhering undifferentiated epithelial cells were transplanted submuco sally in the oral cavity of recipient mothers for periods ranging from 2-8 weeks and the tissues were then processed for light microscopy. Developing tooth-like structures containing mineralised tubular dentine, predentine an d a vascularised pulp-like chamber lined with functional odontoblast-like c ells were observed in the specimens within 2 weeks of transplantation. Enam el and root formation were not observed. These data indicate that neonatal dental pulp tissues containing epithelial cell remnants have the capacity t o develop into tooth-like structures and that this could be the explanation for the development of tooth-like structures sometimes observed in infants after extraction of a natal tooth.