To begin, turn the euthanized mouse over so its ventral side faces up and the mandibles are easily accessible. Secure the mouse's head gently between the thumb and the index finger. Using a razor blade, starting from the lower lip toward the neckline, make a mid-sagittal incision on the lower jaw skin.
During the incision, use the thumb and index finger to open the cut skin, exposing the underneath muscles and jawbone. Next, sever the masseter muscles on the buccal side of the lower jaw. Sever the mylohyoid muscles along the inner side of the mandible and remove muscle attachments.
Make another incision at the mandibular synthesis, connecting the two hemi-mandibles, separating them into the left and right halves. Wedge the razor blade between the mandibular condyle and the temporal mandibular joint to carefully dissect out the hemi mandible from the rest of the head. Immediately transfer the dissected mandibles to a Petri dish containing pre-warmed dissection medium.
Next, under a brightfield dissection microscope, use a number 15 surgical blade to remove muscle tissues. Identify the oval region of the mandible that covers the incisor socket and houses the apical portion of the incisor. Position the mandibles such that the inner or lingual surface is facing upward.
While holding the mandible with a pair of serrated forceps, using a number 15 surgical blade, shave off the overlying membrane bone from the condyle towards the molars to generate a window at the oval. This exposes the soft tissue of the apical incisor on the inner surface. Next, turn the mandible so the outer or buccal surface faces upwards.
As demonstrated for the inner mandible, generate a window at the oval region on the outer mandible. Using a pair of forceps, pick away the remaining bone fragments at the edge, ensuring that the apical end of the tooth is visible from both sides. To isolate the entire tooth, make a clean cut at a plane immediately adjacent to the apical incisor to remove the condylar process.
Then make a second cut just posterior to the third molar, but dorsal to the incisor, without damaging the tooth, to remove the coronary process. Serially cut from the tip of the angular process towards the incisor to gradually remove the ventral mandible. Next, cut away the alveolar bone with molars and any remaining bones that are still attached to the incisor.
Transfer the fully dissected incisor to a dish containing warm dissection media. Turn on the fluorescent microscope and use the fluorescent signal from tissues to guide the removal of periodontium. Position the inner incisor on its lingual side, and using serrated forceps hold the tooth in place.
Then using a pair of number five fine forceps, start tugging on the periodontal tissues, covering the apical incisor, and the cervical loop region. Carefully peel off periodontal tissues from the apical bud, such that the lateral side of the cervical loop is visible.
