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DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1809032
Bovine Teeth as Substitutes for Human Teeth in Dental Research: Ultrastructural and Radiographic Analysis

Abstract
Objectives
Obtaining an alternative for human teeth in research remains challenging. The current study aimed to determine the validity of utilizing bovine teeth as a substitute for human teeth.
Materials and Methods
Sound human maxillary premolars and bovine permanent lower central incisors were obtained. The human and bovine teeth were divided into groups (n = 35) for scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis alongside energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and optical radiographic density.
Statistical Analysis
The data was statistically analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance along with a paired sample t-test, comparing the means of each two groups. The results were expressed as means ± standard deviations, and statistical significance was determined at an alpha level of 0.05.
Results
SEM analysis of human and bovine samples in different hard tissues showed minor changes, mainly the human enamel had a smoother surface with distinct prism profiles, whereas the bovine dentin had larger and more widely separated dentinal tubules. EDX analysis revealed that the compositions of Ca and P, along with their Ca/P ratios in terms of enamel, dentin, and cementum, were comparable. For radiographic density, the findings revealed minor differences between human and bovine samples. No statistically significant differences among the studied groups were detected.
Conclusion
This study revealed minor variations in structure, chemical composition, and radiographic density between human and bovine hard tissues, but without statistical significance, supporting the utilization of bovine teeth as a substitute for that of humans in dental research.
Keywords
bovine - scanning electron microscope - SEM - EDX - radiographic - enamel - dentin - cementumEthical Approval and Consent to Participate
This study was approved by the Faculty of Dentistry, The British University in Egypt, with approval number FD BUE REC 24-002.
Informed consent was obtained from all participants for the collection and use of their extracted teeth for research purposes. The participants were fully informed about the nature of the study and provided written consent. No ethical approval was required for the use of bovine teeth, as they were sourced from a governmental slaughterhouse and not obtained through direct animal experimentation. This distinction has been made in accordance with ethical guidelines for animal research.
Availability of Data and Materials
Data is provided within the article or [Supplementary Material].
Publication History
Article published online:
20 May 2025
© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
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