Oxytalan Fiber System of Molars in the Mouse Mandible

Abstract

The periodontal ligament of molars in mice includes an oxytalan fiber system that extends uninterruptedly from the first to the third molar. These fibers are not anchored in bone but they coordinate the movement of the tooth to the periodontal vasculature. The hypothesis is proposed that oxytalan fibers may be part of a mechanism that regulates vascular flow.