ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the dental anatomy of C57BL/6 mice strain. Methods: The skulls and alveolar bones of 16 C57BL/6 mice were scanned by a micro-CT scanner. After 3D reconstruction,the internal and external anatomy of each tooth type was examined. Results: The upper incisors were more curved (mean radius: 2. 37 mm vs. 6. 31 mm) and shorter (mean tooth length: 8. 63 mm vs. 11. 19 mm) than the lower incisors. The palatal roots of the upper 2nd molars (3-rooted),the mesial roots of the lower first molars(double-rooted) and the mesial and distal roots of the lower 2nd molars (double-rooted) had type 1-2 canal form,and all the other roots had a single canal. The mesiodistal diameter of the crown,as well as the numbers of the cusps and developing grooves decreased from the 1st to the 3rd molars. The external tooth shape was very similar as the morphology of the pulp cavity. Conclusion: The C57BL/6 mouse have strong incisors. The tooth size and the anatomic complexity decrease from the 1st to the 3rd molars,which reflects a trend of degradation.