Effects of long-term occlusal hypofunction and its recovery on the morphogenesis of molar roots and the periodontium in rats

ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate the effects of long-term, artificially created, hypofunctional occlusion and its recovery on the morphology of rat molar roots. Material and Methods: Eighteen 5-week-old Wistar-strain male rats were randomly divided according to their periodontal conditions into normal, hypofunctional, and recovery groups (n  =  6 in each). In the experimental hypofunctional and recovery groups, a bite-raising appliance was set to produce hypofunction at the molar region. All groups were analyzed at 16 weeks of age using three-dimensional micro-computed tomography. Root length, width, and area as well as the thickness and the area of the periodontal ligament (PDL) space of the maxillary first molar were calculated. Results: Roots were longer and narrower in the hypofunctional group than in the control group. The mesial root in particular showed a dramatic change. Root area also decreased significantly in the hypofunctional group compared to the other groups. Moreover, the PDL thickness ...