Spatiotemporal mechanical stimuli from dental crypt during tooth development: An integrated experimental and computational study

Tooth eruption and late-stage morphogenesis occur within a mechanically dynamic environment shaped by growth, changing tissue geometry, and ongoing bone remodeling, yet the mechanical conditions experienced by developing teeth remain poorly quantified. In this study, we combined in situ mechanical testing with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging and computational modeling to reveal how stresses and strains are distributed in the mandibular bone surrounding developing teeth in juvenile pigs. Controlled loading experiments within a CT scanner, coupled with digital volume correlation, provided full-field three-dimensional deformation and strain maps surrounding the developing tooth. Local elastic moduli and microstructural organization of adjacent bone were quantified using atomic force microscopy, enabling validation of material properties used in computational models. Voxel-based finite element models derived from micro-CT data were then digitally modified to represent earlier developmental stages, allowing prediction of how stress pathways evolve as the dental crypt enlarges and tissue properties change. Together, these integrated datasets reveal how chewing-level forces applied to the overlying deciduous tooth propagate through the mandible and influence the mechanical environment of the developing tooth across stages of tooth development.