The role of laboratory animals in dental research

In dental research, in common with other forms of scientific research, the use of laboratory animals is necessary to carry out many investigations that may not be undertaken on man, and to control biological variability. In South Africa the main experimental animals used in dental research are rats and vervet monkeys, although other species such as dogs and baboons have been used. This paper lists examples of published dental research carried out in laboratory animals in South Africa in the fields of bone healing, dental caries, dental materials, growth studies, oral cancer, oral mucosa and periodontal disease investigations.