Role of attrition and occlusal contact in the physiology of the rat incisor: X. The part played by the periodontal ligament in the eruptive process.

Removal of the proliferating base of the rat incisor did not influence the rate of eruption which responded to changes in impediment to eruption in a fashion similar to that for control teeth. It is the peridontal ligament rather than the proliferating cells that is responsible for tooth eruption. The elements of the peridontal ligament apparently responsible for tooth movement are the mature fibroblasts.