Comparative analysis of morphological changes in dentin and cementum of rat teeth as a result of lead acetate action

Background. In the last decade, despite the decline in production (closure or reduction of heavy and chemical industries) and a decrease in the amount of harmful emissions, there has been no significant improvement in the state of the environment. Anthropogenic environmental pollution with heavy metals poses a threat to human health, adversely affecting organs and systems, including the oral cavity and hard tissues of the teeth. Purpose – to study the morphological changes in dentin and cementum of rat teeth under conditions of increased lead acetate content at different periods of dressing. Materials and Methods. The experiments were performed on 36 white outbred male rats weighing 200–250 g, which were kept in vivarium conditions on a standard diet. The animals were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 – control (12 rats), healthy animals after quarantine, received normal drinking water and Group 2 (24 rats) – animals received lead acetate at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight as a 1% solution intragastrically with drinking water daily. In the second group, 3 subgroups (8 rats in each) were divided into 1, 2, and 3 months of exposure. Results. Pathomorphological studies of the hard tissues of the teeth of rats exposed to lead acetate revealed pathological changes in dentin in the form of hypermineralization with tubular stenosis and obliteration and in cementum hypercementosis, destruction with partial detachment from dentin, demineralization and destruction after one month and more pronounced after the 2nd and 3rd month of etching. Conclusions. Pathomorphological changes in the hard tissues of the teeth of rats indicate the harmful effect of lead acetate, which creates a cariesogenic situation and promotes the development of the carious process. The development and evaluation of the effectiveness of a method for correcting the negative effects of lead acetate on hard dental tissues remains relevant.