Induced and spontaneous lesions in teeth of laboratory animals

Abstract

Tooth lesions may be either spontaneous or induced in nature. Such lesions may be acquired by trauma or iatrogenic mechanically induced. Examples are mechanically induced lesions at a high incidence in mice of an oncogenicity study and induced tooth lesions in dogs out of pulp-dentin test studies. In contrast, chemically induced lesions may be also recorded. There are examples discussed in rats of an oncogenicity study induced by a compound acting on the vasotonus, as well as in mice of a subacute toxicity study induced by a fluorinated compound. Also neoplasia may be recorded, that may be induced by chemical products, or intrinsic as genetical background lesion, or even in some rare cases spontaneous in nature. The incidence and types of spontaneous odontogeric neoplasia is discussed for rats, mice including transgenic mice (Tg.AC), and dogs.