ABSTRACT

In the present study, the influence of the calcium deficiency on the growth and development of the maxillo-facial skeleton in Wistar albino rats both during the prenatal+postnatal growth, that is from pregnancy to adulthood, and also during the postnatal growth, that is from parturition to aduthood was examined. In order to avoid growth reduction due to nutritional deficiency, the animals were fed ad libitum. At the end of the experimental period, the adult animals were sacrificed and the anthropometric craniofacial, maxillary and mandibular measurements were made on the skulls. The significant results can be summarized as follows: 1) In the prenatal and postnatal hypocalcium groups, lower anterior face height and total anterior face height were decreased. 2) In the postnatal hypocalcium group, mandibular bicoronoidal width, bicondylar width, lower bimolar distance and lower incisor crown height were decreased. 3) In the prenatal hypocalcium group, besides the decrease in lower anterior face height and total anterior face height, all the other parameters were unexpectedly increased. Taken together, those findings demonstrate that calcium-deficiency beginning from the prenatal growth in rats at least does not cause an impaired growth and development.