Dental Histology Insights: From Hemidesmosomes To Reduced Enamel Epithelium

Dental Histology Insights: From Hemidesmosomes To Reduced Enamel Epithelium

Question 1. Epithelial attachment.
Answer:

• The attachment of ameloblasts to the tooth was shown to be basal lamina to which hemidesmosomes are attached.
• This mode of attachment is referred to as the epithelial attachment.
• It was first shown by Stern and confirmed by Listgarten and Schroeder.
• It is submicroscopic, approx, 40 nm wide
• The adhesive forces in this zone are molecular in nature.
• Such forces act across a distance smaller than 40 nm.

Question 2. Reduced enamel epithelium.
Answer:

• After the formation of the primary enamel cuticle, ameloblasts shorten.
• Then the epithelial enamel organ is reduced to a few layers of flat cuboidal cells, called reduced enamel epithelium.
• Under normal conditions it covers the tire’s entire enamel surface, extending to the tire cementoenamel junction.
• It is no longer involved in the secretion and maturation of enamel.

Function:

• It has a protective function.
• It protects the mature enamel by separating it from the connective tissue until the tooth erupts.
• If connective tissue comes in contact with the enamel, anomalies may develop.
• In the case of a premature break in tire epithelium, connective tissue cells come into contact with enamel and deposit cementum on the enamel.