odontoblast

anatomy

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July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

Odontoblasts are specialized cells found on the surface of the dental pulp that are responsible for secreting dentin. Dentin is the yellowish tissue that forms the bulk of all teeth. It is harder than bone but softer than enamel.12

Odontoblasts line the pulp cavity of the tooth and send projections into the calcified dentin material. These projections, enclosed in tubules, transmit sensations of pain, pressure, and temperature to the nerves in the pulp chamber. Odontoblasts are crucial for the formation and maintenance of dentin throughout life.21

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neural crest
Odontoblasts, the cells that give rise to the dentine of the teeth, have their origin in the neural crest, as do many of the cranial nerve cells. The neural crest also contributes to the formation of the meningeal covering of the brain and is the…
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Odontoblasts, the cells that give rise to the dentine of the teeth, have their origin in the neural crest, as do many of the cranial nerve cells. The neural crest also contributes to the formation of the meningeal covering of the brain and is the…
Read More

integument
Fishes
…which is a layer of odontoblasts. These cells secrete the dentine, or calcareous material, of the scale. Outside the dentine is the enamel, secreted by the overlying ectoderm. When the denticles pierce through the ectoderm, no more enamel can be added.
Read More
…which is a layer of odontoblasts. These cells secrete the dentine, or calcareous material, of the scale. Outside the dentine is the enamel, secreted by the overlying ectoderm. When the denticles pierce through the ectoderm, no more enamel can be added.
Read More

dentin
…a layer of dentin-producing cells, odontoblasts, line the pulp cavity of the tooth (or, in the case of sharks, the toothlike scale) and send projections into the calcified material of the dentin; these projections are enclosed in tubules. Sensitivity to pain, pressure, and temperature is transmitted via the odontoblastic extensions…
Read More
…a layer of dentin-producing cells, odontoblasts, line the pulp cavity of the tooth (or, in the case of sharks, the toothlike scale) and send projections into the calcified material of the dentin; these projections are enclosed in tubules. Sensitivity to pain, pressure, and temperature is transmitted via the odontoblastic extensions…
Read More