title: Effects of pregnancy and lactation on the microhardness of rat incisor dentine and enamel.
abstract: Pregnancy and lactation affect the rate of maternal dentine apposition and mineralization in the rat. In this study we have measured the effects of pregnancy and lactation on the degree of mineralization of dentine and enamel by using the microhardness method in rat incisors. At incisal sections, pregnant and lactation group enamel values were increased compared to that of a control group; the pregnancy and post-lactation period dentine values decreased slightly compared to the control group. At neck sections, pregnant and lactation group enamel values were decreased compared to that of the control group; the pregnancy and post-lactation period dentine values were also decreased slightly compared to the control group. At the post-lactation period neck section dentine mineralization was decreased compared with the incisal section. As a result, enamel and dentine layers of rat incisors are affected to varying degrees by these changes in mineralization levels during the maternal period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology, School of Dentistry, Hacettepe University, Sihhiye, 06100 Ankara, Turkey. muratozbek1963@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozbek
authors.forename: Aydan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanli
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dural
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gonen
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tulunoglu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000502:physiology*; D003804:Dentin / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006244:Hardness; D006245:Hardness Tests; D007180:Incisor; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar