Kiera McConnell
Research Mentor: Yuji Mishina
Mentor Department: Biological and Material Sciences, Dentistry
Author(s): Kiera McConnell, Mylene Pighini , Yuji Mishina
Session: Session 4 (1:00 PM – 1:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 70
Abstract
Bone remodeling is a continuous process in which osteoclasts remove damaged bone tissue through resorption while osteoblasts repair bone through ossification. This balanced cycle maintains skeletal integrity and has been extensively characterized in long bones; however, remodeling in alveolar bone remains less understood, particularly across developmental stages associated with tooth eruption. Because alveolar bone undergoes rapid structural changes during craniofacial growth, studying its remodeling across development may reveal site-specific regulation of skeletal tissue. We investigated developmental changes in alveolar bone microstructure using a cross-sectional mouse model spanning key stages of molar eruption. Mouse specimens were collected at postnatal days 10–12 (first molar eruption), postnatal day 20 (second molar eruption), and approximately two months of age (after third molar eruption). To examine cellular activity in alveolar bone associated with tooth eruption, sections from reporter mice (Col1a1-GFP; LysMCre; Rosa26-tdTomato) were analyzed to identify osteoblast- and osteoclast-lineage cells, with green fluorescence marking osteoblasts and red fluorescence marking osteoclasts. The mandible was dissected from the skull, isolated from surrounding tissue, and embedded in optimal cutting temperature (OCT) compound. Samples were cryosectioned into 10 µm sections and mounted with DAPI to visualize nuclei. Microscopy imaging and quantitative image analysis were used to assess changes in alveolar bone structure and to measure osteoblast- and osteoclast-lineage cell density and spatial distribution across developmental stages. Characterizing these stage-specific patterns will improve understanding of how alveolar bone remodeling is coordinated during tooth eruption and may provide insight into mechanisms regulating craniofacial development.
