Exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin leads to defective dentin formation and pulpal perforation in rat incisor tooth.

A single dose of 1000 micrograms 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)/kg body weight was given to TCDD-resistant (Han/Wistar) young adult male rats. Changes in the skulls and the continuously erupting incisor teeth were evaluated 16 weeks after the administration of TCDD. The skulls of the experimental rats (N = 11) were significantly smaller than those of the control rats (N = 11), and the upper and lower incisor teeth of all experimental rats were significantly thinner than the control rat teeth. The pulps of the lower incisors of all experimental rats were lingually exposed to the oral cavity at their incisal ends. Also in 3 cases the pulps of the upper incisors were exposed, but never in the control rats. Whereas the labial surfaces of the incisors of the control rats were brown, those of the experimental rat teeth appeared greyish and mottled. Histological examination revealed that the pulp chambers in the incisal halves of the affected teeth were larger than normal, at the expense of the thickness of dentin. Towards the incisal tooth ends, odontoblasts gradually lost their polarity and the pulp tissue became necrotic. A dentin zone next to the pulp chambers was irregular. Lingual tapering of the teeth was pronounced, which gave them a mesiodistally flattened appearance. The superficial zone of the otherwise regular enamel was poorly pigmented. In conclusion, a single injection of TCDD was shown to impair normal growth of the skull and incisor tooth formation in rats. The small size of the incisors, their aberrant shape and the defective dentin (and enamel) formation could be mediated by vitamin A metabolism, known to be interfered with by TCDD.