[Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the differentiation of odontoblasts and adamantoblasts]

In the present study we report experiments which indicate that the adamantal epithelium (inner dental epithelium) plays a specific role in the initiation of differentiation and in the initial maintenance of odontoblasts. The preodontoblasts do not differentiate in the pulps cultures alone or in association of pulps with no specific epithelium. The early stages in the process of odontoblasts differentiation are labile and dependent upon their environment. The odontoblasts and the ameloblasts cannot differentiate in advance in the isochronic and heterochronic associations. A previous maturation of these cells or of their environment is indispensable.