THE CULTIVATION OF TOOTH GERMS IN AN EMBRYO EXTRACT-FREE MEDIUM

¹ College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

While no conclusions can be drawn from the limited number of explants, the study suggests that the cells of the enamel organ have greater survival capacity than the fibroblasts of the papilla in embryo and extract-free medium. It is also noted that the tooth germ explant may survive, grow, and develop for 4 days in vitro in the absence of embryo extract. This may explain the first rapid developmental period and establishes the need for embryo extract as a constituent of media in the in vitro cultivation of tooth germs.