STAINING OF NERVES 

 IN TRANSPLANTED TEETH 



H. S. FLEMING 



Howard University Collège of Dentistry Washington, D,C. 



Tooth germs of guinea-pigs andrabbits at différent stages of development 

 were transplanted to the brains of guinea-pigs according to the method 

 of Fleming. Thèse were allowed to remain at this transplantation site 

 for varying periods from 20 days upwards. Upon sacrifice of the hosts, 

 the transplants were recovered and fixed at once in formalin or by the 

 Zenker's — 80 per cent alcohol method. They were then decalcified, 

 blocked and eut at 7 microns. Staining was by several différent spécial 

 •stains to emphasize the nerves in thèse recovered transplants. 



The results indicate that the nerve éléments of thèse transplanted 

 teethwill survive transplantation. In addition, medullated or myelinated 

 nerve fibres of the teeth survive transplantation as well as other types 

 and thèse surviving nerves in the transplants compare very favorably 

 with those nerves of teeth in situ. It is likewise important to note that 

 nerve éléments of the teeth as well as other component parts survive 

 better when transplanted at earlier rather than late stages of development. 

 Thèse experiments, therefore, support a hypothesis that transplants of 

 the teeth can adjust much better to new environments while in their 

 early stages of development. This may be due to a greater power of 

 autonomy, during initial growth and development. 



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