The Effects of Premature Tooth Extraction and Damage on Replacement Timing in the Green Iguana.

ABSTRACT: Reptiles with continuous tooth replacement, or polyphyodonty, replace their teeth in predictable, well-timed waves in alternating tooth positions around the mouth. This process is thought to occur irrespective of tooth wear or breakage. In this study, we aimed to determine if damage to teeth and premature tooth extraction affects tooth replacement timing long-term in juvenile green iguanas (Iguana iguana). First, we examined normal tooth development histologically using a BrdU pulse-chase analysis to detect label-retaining cells in replacement teeth and dental tissues. Next, we performed tooth extraction experiments for characterization of dental tissues after functional tooth (FT) extraction, including proliferation and β-Catenin expression, for up to 12 weeks. We then compared these resu

SUBMITTER: Brink KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7546963 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature