Odontoblast
Pronunciation: oh-DON-toh-blast
A mesenchymal cell of the dental pulp that produces and maintains dentine throughout the life of the tooth.
Full Definition
Odontoblasts are derived from neural crest cells and line the pulp-dentine junction, extending cytoplasmic processes (odontoblastic processes) into dentinal tubules. Unlike ameloblasts, odontoblasts persist throughout the life of the tooth and can produce reparative or tertiary dentine in response to injury or caries. Editors must be careful to distinguish odontoblasts from ameloblasts and to note that their processes, not their cell bodies, occupy the dentinal tubules. The term appears in histology, endodontics, and restorative dentistry literature.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish clearly from 'ameloblast' (enamel-forming) and 'cementoblast' (cementum-forming); all three appear in developmental and restorative dentistry texts.
In Context
- "Tubular occlusion by odontoblast activity reduces dentinal hypersensitivity over time." — Restorative dentistry review article
- "The odontoblast layer remained intact beneath the calcium hydroxide liner, indicating a favorable pulpal response." — Endodontic case series