MoBaTann (MoBaTooth) : Tooth biobank

A research group in the Biomaterial Cluster has established a biobank for human primary teeth in cooperation with The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study - MoBa (The Norwegian Institute of Public Health).

The MoBaTann (MoBaTooth) biobank was established in 2008, and is affiliated with the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). This is a collaboration between the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and the University of Bergen (UoB). Today the MoBaTann (MobaTooth) is the only biobank in the world at this size.

Over 36.000 shed primary teeth has been collected and stored at the Department of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Bergen. The participants in the MoBaTooth biobank have donated one or more shed primary teeth, and these children are also participants in the MoBa-study. MoBa is a national study comprising over 114 00 pregnancies and run by NIPH. Questionnaire were being collected during pregnancy as well as post-partum annual surveys. Other biological material such as blood tests and urine samples have also been collected.

The overall aim of the MoBaTooth biobank is to use primary teeth as a biomarker in research to increase the knowledge about children’s uptake of environmental and food toxins and nutrients in fetal life and early childhood. This knowledge will be used to find underlying causes for disease and condition in children - and ultimately prevent health problems.

Photo:

Synnøve Stokke Jensen

The Biobank has been established by ass.professor H. Tvinnereim in 2008 and from 2012 Professor Kristin S. Klock has been the leader of the Stearing group of MoBaTann.

For more information about the biobank and 1) Access to data and biological material from MoBa, 2) Pricelist and Data management see MoBaTooth biobank for primary teeth - NIPH (fhi.no).

REFERENCES

1. Tvinnereim HM, Lygre GB, Haug K, Schreuder P, Klock K. A biobank of primary teeth within the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study (MoBa): a resource for the future. Paediatr Perinatal Epidemiol. 2012; 26(3): 264-71.

2. Jensen SS, Lygre GB, Klock KS. MoBaTann - en biobank for fremtiden. Status og validering av målinger på innsamlede melketenner (MoBaTann - a biobank for the future. Status and validation of measurements of shed deciduous teeth). Nor Tannlegeforen Tid. 2019; 129: 442-50.

3. Magnus P, Birke C, Vejrup K, et al. Cohort Profile Update: The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Int J Epidemiol. 2016;45(2):382-388

4. Jensen SS, Austin C, Arora M, Lie SA, Øilo M, Klock KS. Toxic and essential trace elements in human primary teeth: A baseline study within The MoBaTooth Biobank and The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Environmental Advances. 2023;13:100418.

5. Arora M, Reichenberg A, Willfors C, Austin C, Gennings C, Berggren S, et al. Fetal and postnatal metal dysregulation in autism. Nature Communications. 2017;8(1):15493.