Insular dentin formation pattern in human odontogenesis in relation to the scalloped dentino-enamel junction

This study is a first report on the modality of early dentin formation in respect to the scalloped pattern of the dentino-enamel junction (DEJ). We applied scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), histological serial sections, and three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions. TEM and SEM showed scallops and secondary scallops on the DEJ of deciduous dental primordia and on deciduous teeth with the enamel cap removed. This peculiar outline of the DEJ requires a specific dentin formation pattern; histological sections showed that dentin formation began at the brims of the scallops, seen as triangular spikes in serial sections. The dentin formation front was not uniform; instead, it was characterized by multiple, insular forming centers, as revealed by our 3D reconstructions. As thicker dentin layers formed, the islands became confluent. Factors are discussed, which may lead to crimpling of the inner enamel epithelium, and maintained as the scalloped pattern of the DEJ develops. Signaling patterns in accordance with the insular dentin formation are unknown so far.