Traumatic injuries to enamel formation in rat incisors.

Twenty-three fullgrown white male rats were fitted with an inclined plane on the mandibular incisors with consequent raising of the bite by 2.5 mm. After an observation period of between 1 and 30 d the animals were killed. In all cases traumatic injuries to the enamel organs were seen. The defects were mainly of four different types. Type 1 occurred in the early maturation zone of the enamel as a local defect with dedifferentiated ameloblasts. Vascular injury was moderate and deformation of the dentin was seen. After 30 d there was still a local defect of the enamel organ. Type 2 occurred apically to the maturation zone and caused a two-layered ameloblastoma resembling a sandwich. Hemorrhages were commmon in the surrounding connective tissue, with accompanying appearance of phospholipids in the tissue. After 30 d some restitution of the enamel formation was seen. Type 3 was necrosis was seen in the surrounding tissue. After 30 d a new ameloblastoma had developed in some areas. These three types appeared separately or combined. Type 4 occurred as a folding of newly formed apical dentin in areas without differentiated ameloblastoma and was seen in all of the experimental animals.