Monkey Models in Dental Research

Abstract

There has been a striking increase in the use of nonhuman primate models in all major areas of dental research since this subject was last reviewed. The search for a suitable simian surrogate for man in which to investigate simulated human oral diseases has encompassed primate species ranging from the marmoset to the chimpanzee. Old and New World monkeys were shown to be superior to laboratory rodents and small mammals for probes into the pathogenesis and prevention of periodontal disease. Monkeys were also proving invaluable as experimental models in dental caries, oral cancer, cleft palate, surgical orthodontic and oral implant research.