In mammals, teeth develop as distinct organs. Some organs such as hair and some glands share similarities with dental organogenesis in their morphological and molecular developmental characteristics, but not in their regenerative capabilities. Dentition, by definition, refers to the characteristics of a set of teeth, including type, arrangement, shape and number. During their evolution, mammals have evolved a reduced capacity for tooth regeneration, but on the other hand, mammalian teeth have evolved many variations in terms of size and shape. Mammal dentition can be divided into four types of teeth; incisors, canines, premolars (bicuspids) and molars. Molars are specifically the most diversely shaped teeth among the four types. Although teeth can develop from endoderm or mesoderm, in mammals, neural crest and ectodermal tissues produce ectodermal appendages, which later develop as teeth (Smith, 2003; Soukup et al ., 2008). Cell-cell signaling and cell differentiation between ectoderm and mesenchyme cells regulate tooth morphogenesis. Many of the paracrine signal molecules that we know are involved and mediate communication during tooth development. Most of these signals arise from the conserved signaling clusters Hedgehog (Hh), Ectodysplasin (Eda), transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), Wnt, bone morphogenic protein (Bmp), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) (Jernvall et Thesleff, 2000). . These conserved signaling families also play important roles in regulating many other aspects of embryonic development. They not only regulate communication between germ layers, but also within each germ layer. Variation in mammalian dentition relies on these cellular signals to regulate differentiation, so they are present from start to finish as well...... middle of paper ......Even after reprogramming the cells to dental development, the techniques used in this process will have to take into account the natural environment of the cells. Based on the current understanding of dental development that we have seen above, it is clear that the techniques used in dental bioengineering will be of significantly greater complexity than the reprogramming of pancreatic cells, and that this will have to be done inside the oral cavity.A clear understanding of the mechanisms involved in normal tooth development is necessary to develop methods for programming tooth regeneration in humans. Stem cells from mammalian teeth might not be a good source for bioengineering due to their limited supply and problematic collection methods. Non-dental stem cells such as iPSCs are emerging so far as one of the most promising avenues to explore in dental bioengineering..