Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the histological structure of the deciduous teeth and the tooth germs of Tibetan miniature pigs for studies of dental tissue diseases and tooth regeneration. METHODS: The structure of the deciduous teeth of Tibetan miniature pigs was observed by X-ray. The ultrastructure of the enamel and dentin of deciduous teeth was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The jaws and teeth were three-dimensionally reconstructed using Mimics software based on Micro-CT scanning of the deciduous teeth. Image J software was used to calculate the gray value and the mineralization density of the deciduous teeth. Hisotological structure of the tooth germ and the pulp tissue of Tibetan miniature pigs was observed using HE staining. RESULTS: The deciduous teeth of Tibetan miniature pigs were composed of enamel, dentin and medullary pulp tissue. The permanent tooth germ were formed during the deciduous dentition. The enamel and dentin ultrastructure of deciduous teeth were consistent with that of human deciduous teeth. The enamel and dentin mineralization densities were 2.47±0.09 g/cm(3) and 1.72±0.07 g/cm(3), respectively. The pathological structures of tooth germ and pulp tissue were similar to those of human teeth, and the pulp tissue of the deciduous teeth was in an undifferentiated state. CONCLUSIONS: The deciduous teeth of Tibetan miniature pig have similar anatomy, ultrastructure and histopathological structure to human teeth and can serve as a good animal model for studying human dental tissue diseases and the mechanisms of tooth regeneration.