# Highlighting the Role of Prenatally Administered Drugs in the Production of Dental Enamel Defects in Rats by Polarized Light Microscopy

## TL;DR

This study shows how prenatal drug exposure in rats can cause dental enamel defects, using polarized light microscopy to identify the types of defects.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the use of polarized light microscopy to distinguish between demineralization and hypoplasia in drug-induced enamel defects in rats.

## Key findings

- Cefaclor caused the most significant enamel defects in rats.
- Demineralization was more common in cefaclor and ibuprofen groups.
- Amoxicillin groups showed more hypoplasia than demineralization.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Although factors acting both prenatally and postnatally are taken into consideration, the etiopathogenesis of developmental defects of enamel (DDE) is not fully understood. Among the medications used for a variety of ailments, amoxicillin and cefaclor are indicated as having a part in the development of DDE. The objective of the present study was to reproduce DDE in the laboratory in rats by administering amoxicillin, ibuprofen, and cefaclor. These lesions were subsequently diagnosed using polarized light microscopy (PLM). Methods: This study was conducted on Wistar rats, which were given prenatally drugs possibly involved in the production of DDE. After macroscopic examination and identification of enamel defects, bright-field microscopy (BFM) and PLM examination were performed. Results: The group that received cefaclor was the most affected, according to the data gathered from this study. This group was followed by the groups that received amoxicillin in a double dose, ibuprofen, amoxicillin in a standard dose, and the control group. Conclusions: In the control group, DDE was identified in a reduced number, resulting in the fact that there are other factors involved, besides the drugs administered, in the development of DDE. Following this research, it was concluded that DDE in the form of demineralization was more frequently recorded in the cefaclor and ibuprofen groups, while DDE in the form of hypoplasia was more frequently recorded in the double-dose and standard-dose amoxicillin groups.