Fig. 1

Encircling dental papilla and enamel organ, dental follicles with two polarity plays an indispensable part in tooth eruption by regulating bone remodeling around erupting tooth in a temporospatial manner. Dental follicle Progenitor cells (DFPCs) in the crown side regulate the absorption of alveolar bone by stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of osteoclasts through many cytokines and pathways, among which RANKL and CSF-1 being known to accelerate the formation of osteoclast are critical, while in the root side, DFPCs regulate the deposition of alveolar bone by stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts through coordinating with many molecules. In the process of deposition of trabecular bone, the Runx2/Nell-1 axis may act as one of the key regulatory pathways in DFPCs, and Osterix contribute to a subtle balance of regulatory effects on Nell-1 transcription with Runx2