A histochemical study of the cholinergic and adrenergic innervation of the developing teeth and oral tissues in the...

The dental follicle and papilla are innervated at different stages of tooth development. The type of nerves innervating these structures at different stages was investigated using an enzymic method for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and direct visualization for noradrenaline on fetal and neonatal stages up to 7 days after birth. Glandular and muscular tissue were positive for AChE in 17-day fetuses but no reaction was observed in the teeth or supporting tissues up to 7 days after birth. Noradrenaline was detected in blood vessels at 18 days and in glandular tissue at birth but was not observed in the teeth within the period covered. It is unlikely that AChE plays any role in the innervation of teeth; the adrenergic nerve supply probably develops later.