EXPERIMENTAL ODONTOMAS IN OSTEOPETROTIC OP OP RATS/

Osteopetrosis is an autosomal recessive disease in several mammalian s pecies. Osteopetrotic op/op rats suffer from complete failure of tooth eruption related to reduced bone resorption. In our earlier studies, op/op rats grafted with bone marrow cells 3 days after birth were cure d of the disease and their molar eruption was restored. However, the i ncisors failed to erupt and their proliferating ends were distorted, f orming odontomas. The purpose of the present investigation was to stud y the odontogenic tissues in the odontomas, using the correlated techn iques of radiography and microradiography of undecalcified material, t ogether with histology of decalcified material and scanning electron m icroscopy.