Effect of unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy on mandibular incisor eruption rate in rats.

To assess the effect of sympathectomy on rat tooth eruption, the effect of a unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) on eruption rate of ipsi- and contralateral lower incisors was examined. Two experiments were performed. In a first experiment, the eruption rate of ipsilaterally denervated incisors was similar to that of contralaterally innervated incisors, when assessed for up to 28 days after surgery. In a second experiment, under conditions of unilateral unimpeded eruption of incisors performed ipsilaterally or contralaterally to a unilateral SCGx, a significantly lower eruption rate of denervated incisors at the impeded eruption side, and a significantly higher eruption rate of denervated incisors at the unimpeded side were observed, when computed every 2 days. Significant differences in individual Student's t tests at every time interval occurred mainly during the first and the last week of examination. When average daily eruption rate was computed in weekly intervals, a significant interaction between SCGx and the side of impeded or unimpeded eruption was found in a factorial ANOVA, that is, for each of the 4 weeks of examination, sympathetically denervated incisors showed lower eruption rates at the impeded eruption side, and higher eruption rates at the unimpeded side. These results indicate that incisor eruption is not modified by a local sympathetic denervation unless the contralateral lower rat incisor is cut out of occlusion.