Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The major mineralized tissues are bone and teeth, which share several mechanisms governing their development and mineralization. This crossover includes the hormones that regulate circulating calcium and phosphate concentrations, and the genes that regulate the differentiation and transdifferentiation of cells. In developing endochondral bone and in developing teeth, parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) acts in chondrocytes to delay terminal differentiation, thereby increasing the pool of precursor cells. Chondrocytes and (in specific circumstances) pre-odontoblasts can also transdifferentiate into osteoblasts. Moreover, bone and teeth share outcomes when affected by systemic disorders of mineral homeostasis or of the extracellular matrix, and by adverse effects of treatments such as bisphosphonates and fluoride. Unlike bone, teeth have more permanent effects from systemic disorders because they are not remodelled after they are formed. This Review discusses the normal processes of bone and tooth development, followed by disorders that have effects on both bone and teeth, versus disorders that have effects in one without affecting the other. The takeaway message is that bone specialists should know when to screen for dental disorders, just as dental specialists should recognize when a tooth disorder should raise suspicions about a possible underlying bone disorder.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/s41574-021-00488-z

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Rev Endocrinol

Publication Date

04/05/2021