Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Odontoblasts
Introduction
Overview
Overview
An odontoblast is a biological cell of neural crest origin that is part of the outer surface of the dental pulp, and whose biological function is dentinogenesis, which is the creation of dentin, the substance under the tooth enamel. The odontoblasts secrete dentin throughout life, which may be an attempt to compensate for natural wearing down of the enamel. In the case of an infection breaching the tooth to the pulp and killing odontoblasts, Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells may differentiate into odontoblasts which would then secrete reparative dentin.
The biological tissue formed by odontoblasts is a type of hard tissue.
External links
External links
- Odontoblasts at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]