Dental dysplasia in rats and mice

Malformations of the maxillary incisors, diagnosed as dental dysplasia, were observed as a spontaneous background lesion in 3% (females) to 9% (males) of CD-1(R) mice and 14.5% (females) to 10.5% (males) of CD(R) (Sprague-Dawley) rats in a chronic inhalation study. Lesions were reported grossly as overgrown, maloccluded, or malformed incisors. Microscopic findings included tooth pulp and periodontal abscesses, fractured and necrotic teeth, periodontal cysts, malformations of the incisor roots, and expansile masses, including odontomas, of the incisor roots. Development of lesions followed a pattern of tooth pulp necrosis and/or traumatic disruption of the epithelial root sheath at the base of the tooth. Feeding a powdered ration, which reduced the normal wearing of the incisors, and repeated clipping of overgrown incisors were believed to contribute to the incidence of disease.