Radio-histomorphometric Study of the Dental Arch in Farm-raised Rabbits Subjected to Dental Wear Caused by Different Diets in Cote d’Ivoire
Abou Joel Landry Okon
*
Department of Basic and Bioclinical Sciences, Training and Research Unit Medical Sciences, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Kobenan Younouss Ouattara
Department of Department of Basic Sciences, Pathology, and Surgery, Training and Research Unit Dentistry and Stomatology, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Bazago You Etienne Bi Goulai
Department of Basic and Bioclinical Sciences, Training and Research Unit Medical Sciences, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Quidana Désirée Coulibaly
Department of Basic and Bioclinical Sciences, Training and Research Unit Medical Sciences, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Irénée Philippe Agossou
Department of Basic and Bioclinical Sciences, Training and Research Unit Medical Sciences, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Patricia Zhou Deh
Department of Basic and Bioclinical Sciences, Training and Research Unit Medical Sciences, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Akale Bernadette Akon-Laba
Department of Department of Basic Sciences, Pathology, and Surgery, Training and Research Unit Dentistry and Stomatology, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Brahima Doukoure
Department of Basic and Bioclinical Sciences, Training and Research Unit Medical Sciences, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Victor Gnangoran Yao
Department of Basic and Bioclinical Sciences, Training and Research Unit Medical Sciences, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Dental wear in rabbits is strongly influenced by dietary texture and composition because their continuously growing teeth require adequate mechanical abrasion to maintain normal occlusion. Inappropriate feeding patterns may disturb the balance between tooth growth and wear and may also affect periodontal and trabecular bone structures. However, the combined effects of different dietary regimens on dental wear and associated radiographic and histological changes in farm-raised rabbits remain insufficiently documented.
Aims: The study aimed to analyse the impact of different diets on dental wear and the histological structure of the dental arch.
Study Design: This was an experimental study conducted in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Place and Duration of Study: Experimental husbandry was conducted for one (1) month at a private animal facility in Abidjan. Radiographic and histological examinations were undertaken at the Laboratory of Histology, Embryology, and Cytogenetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Abidjan, using the facilities available for microscopic examination and tissue assessment.
Methodology: Thirty-two (32) apparently healthy male rabbits, 6–8 months of age and weighing 2.307–2.624 kg, were allocated to four dietary groups: pellets alone (CG), pellets with carrots (GC), pellets with hay (GFA), and pellets combined with hay, carrot, and grit (GO).
Results: Incisor measurements together with histological sections of the mandible and maxilla were evaluated. The GFA group recorded the smallest final mandibular height (4 ± 1.43 cm) and the largest mandibular wear index (-1.47 cm). Among the diets, hay produced the greatest mechanical wear, while maxillary teeth continued to show a growth tendency. Rabbits receiving pellets alone showed maxillary overgrowth together with insufficient mandibular wear, whereas hay increased mandibular wear. The GO combination yielded the most balanced morphometric and histological findings.
Conclusion: The study confirmed that diet texture and composition determine the dynamics of dental wear and remodelling in rabbits through combined mechanical and metabolic mechanisms. The combined GO diet provided the best overall balance.
Keywords: Rabbit, dental wear, dental arch, hay, radiography, histomorphometry, trabecular bone, tooth growth