The effect of chronic parathyroid extract on tooth eruption and dental tissues in osteopetrotic mice.

The grey lethal mouse is an osteopetrotic mutant in which there is diffuse sclerosis of the entire skeleton and the teeth remain trapped in the jaws. The condition was treated with daily subcutaneous injections of PTE beginning at birth. PTE induced molar tooth eruption in some mutants and improved root formation (without eruption) in others. However, the zone of predentine in the crown of the tooth remained abnormally wide and dentinogenesis remained irregular. Resorption of alveolar bone was adequate to permit complete tooth eruption in some animals and increased root formation in others.