Impairment of Bony Crypt Development Associated With Hexavalent Chromium Exposure During Tooth Eruption

Improperly treated hexavalent chromium-containing industrial wastes contaminate drinking water, potentially affecting children taking breast milk or baby bottles prepared with infant formula. Thus, the aim of the present work was to determine the effect of this toxic on bone activity in the developing alveolus during tooth eruption of suckling Wistar rats intoxicated with potassium dichromate. Experimental animals received a daily dose of 12.5mg/kg body weight of potassium dichromate by gavage for 10 days; controls received an equivalent volume of saline solution. Histologic and histomorphometric studies of the mandible were performed. The data were statistically analyzed using Student's t test; statistical significance was set at a value of p <0.05. Experimental animals exhibited delayed tooth eruption, decreased periodontal width and bone volume, a lower percentage of bone formation surfaces, and higher percentage of quiescent surfaces (p<0.05) compared to controls. The delay in tooth eruption observed after exposure to hexavalent chromium is the result of a lower rate of bone remodeling in the developing alveolus. The obtained results show the importance of controlling toxic substances in drinking water, since their effects may alter the growth and development of subjects who were exposed during early infancy.