title: Postnatal mandibular cheek tooth development in the miniature pig based on two-dimensional and three-dimensional X-ray analyses.
abstract: The miniature pig is a useful large laboratory animal model. Various tissues and organs of miniature pigs are similar to those of humans in terms of developmental, anatomical, immunological, and physiological characteristics. The oral and maxillofacial region of miniature pigs is often used in preclinical studies of regenerative dentistry. However, there is limited information on the dentition and tooth structure of miniature pigs. The purpose of this study was to examine the time-course changes of dentition and tooth structure (especially the root) of the miniature pig mandibular cheek teeth through X-ray analyses using soft X-ray for two-dimensional observations and micro-CT for three-dimensional observations. The mandibles of male Clawn strain miniature pigs (2 weeks and 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 17, and 29 months of age) were used. X-ray analysis of the dentition of miniature pig cheek teeth showed that the eruption pattern of the miniature pig is diphyodont and that the replacement pattern is vertical. Previous definitions of deciduous and permanent teeth often varied and there has been no consensus on the number of teeth (dentition); however, we found that three molars are present in the deciduous dentition and that four premolars and three molars are present in the permanent dentition. Furthermore, we confirmed the number of tooth roots and root canals. We believe that these findings will be highly useful in future studies using miniature pig teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Dentistry, School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, The Nippon Dental University, 1-9-20 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8159, Japan. ideaki@tky.ndu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: Taka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D003817:Dentition; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development*; D013552:Swine / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D013556:Swine, Miniature / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D013997:Time Factors; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography; D014965:X-Rays
keywords: cheek teeth; dentition; micro-CT; miniature pig; tooth development