tandknoppar

Tandknoppar, plural of tandknopp, are early embryonic structures that eventually form teeth. In humans and other mammals they arise from thickened dental epithelium called the dental lamina in the developing jaw. The teeth begin as tooth buds that bud off from the dental lamina and grow into the underlying mesenchyme, giving rise to the enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac (follicle). The process proceeds through recognized stages: bud, cap, and bell. In the bud stage the tooth bud is a small rounded cluster; in the cap stage the bud enlarges and forms a cap-like enamel organ; in the bell stage the enamel organ differentiates into layers that produce enamel, while the dental papilla forms dentin and pulp and the dental sac forms the supporting structures. By around the 6th to 7th week of gestation in humans, the first tooth buds appear, with primary dentition forming over the following months; permanent teeth develop from successional lamina and additional buds. After eruption, the deciduous teeth shed and permanent teeth erupt in childhood and adolescence.

Abnormalities in tandknoppar formation can lead to dental agenesis or supernumerary teeth; arrested development at any stage can affect tooth number or shape. In comparative anatomy, the pattern and timing of tooth bud formation vary among species and relate to dietary adaptations.