Role of Animal Models in Periodontal Clinical Research and its Present-Day Status: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The use of animal models have aided in the development of new information in periodontology research. Animal models enable legal acceptance of human welfare. Dogs, rats, ferrets, hamsters, mice and on rare occasions, rabbits and sheep have been used to study human periodontal diseases. Animal models were chosen because they have similar anatomical and physiological features of the oral cavity and periodontium, as well as the presence of causative agents that contribute to the occurrence of natural periodontal disease in humans. There has been a progression toward the development of a feasible and sufficiently accurate model that accurately reflects the true pathogenic mechanisms of living person periodontal disease. Non human primates have been used extensively in periodontal investigations as well as in medical technology to understand the origin of periodontal disease. Caries and calculus study is best accomplished through hamsters and rat. Periodontal disease and calculus formation in ferrets could be potential and encouraging in the research area. Thus, the structural and pathophysiology of the animal kingdom differs from that of human beings and seems sometimes troublesome with the latest therapies. Hamster stays an intriguing model for immunological studies. New possibilities in the periodontal analysis are now accessible, enabling broader cohorts that are easier to build. The goal of this review is to give an overview of the animal models that have been employed in the periodontal investigation. The purpose of this review is to identify the best animal model for periodontal research and also for the safety precautions for human beings. The use of factfinding models used in periodontal disease is crucial to grasp the root source in the human being. Animal models are beneficial in periodontal surveys and an unavoidable step before accessing clinical testing with the latest biomaterials and therapies.