[The basic characters and research advancements of odontoblasts]

As the main components of dental pulp cells,the odontoblasts were responsible for the formation and maintenance of dentin during the development and mature age of teeth. Presently the studies were mostly based on the two-dimensional vitro cultured technique,but with the developing research of pulp tissue, three-dimensional vitro cultured technique will be the study hotspot in future. The author retrospected the investigation about the odontoblasts these years and mostly expatiated the morphology,ultrastructure,function and characters of protein expression about the odontoblasts,including the research advancements and research aspects in future.