Primary enamel cuticle, also called Nasmyth's membrane, is thin

membrane A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. B ...

of tissue also known as

reduced enamel epithelium The reduced enamel epithelium, sometimes called reduced dental epithelium, overlies a developing tooth and is formed by two layers: a layer of ameloblast cells and the adjacent layer of cuboidal cells (outer enamel epithelium) from the dental lam ...

(REE) produced by the

ameloblast Ameloblasts are cells present only during tooth development that deposit tooth enamel, which is the hard outermost layer of the tooth forming the surface of the crown. Structure Each ameloblast is a columnar cell approximately 4 micrometers in d ...

, that covers the

tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

once it has erupted. This tissue is primarily

basal lamina The basal lamina is a layer of extracellular matrix secreted by the epithelial cells, on which the epithelium sits. It is often incorrectly referred to as the basement membrane, though it does constitute a portion of the basement membrane. The ba ...

. It is usually worn away by mastication and cleaning. The primary enamel cuticle protects enamel from resorption by cells of the dental sac and also secretes desmolytic enzymes for elimination of the dental sac, allowing fusion between reduced enamel epithelium and oral epithelium. This process allows eruption of the tooth without bleeding.

References

* * Oral Pathology Handbook 2008-2009- L.C. Schneider Epithelium Dental enamel {{dentistry-stub

See also

References