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MoBaTooth - Biobank for primary teeth

A biobank for human primary teeth, associated with The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study.

Picture of a tooth where parts of the root is resorbed
Shed primary tooth with parts of the root resorbed
Photo:
Colourbox.com

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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 have 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 a prospective population-based cohort study comprising over 114 00 pregnancies, 95 000 mothers, 75000 fathers and is run by NIPH. Questionnaire were being collected during pregnancy as well as post-partum annual surveys and the collection is still going on. Other biological material such as blood tests and urine samples have also been collected.

 

Illustation of MoBaTooth
Photo:
FHI.no, modified by Synnøve Stokke Jensen

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.

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.

In the MoBaTann Biobank, there is a Project Group and a Steering Group with members from UiB and FHI that assess projects that wish to use the primary teeth in the biobank for research purposes.

See MoBaTooth biobank for primary teeth - NIPH (fhi.no) for information on

  • MobBaTann Biobank
  • Access to data and biological material
  • Prices and data processing

 

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. Dolphin, AE, Dundas, SH, Kosler, J, Tvinnereim, HM, Geffen, A.  A comparison of techniques measuring the trace element content of human teeth: laser ablation ICP-MS versus solution ICP-MS of micromilled enamel. International Journal of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 2012, 2(3):189-195.
  3. Tvinnereim HM, Lygre GB, Haug K, Schreuder P, Klock K. A biobank of primary teeth within the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) per 2014: A resource for the future. Norwegian Journal of Epidemiology. 2014 Des; 24 (1-2):135-140. In: Theme: The Norwegian Mother and Child cohort Study-history, scientific activities and future opportunities.
  4. 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
  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.
  6. Jensen SS, Klock KS, Lygre GB. MoBaTann - en biobank for fremtiden. Status og validering av målinger på innsamlede melketenner. Nor Tannlegeforen Tid. 2019; 129: 442-50.
  7. 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.

 

Master Thesis:

  • Synnøve Stokke Jensen. MoBaTann: Biobank for humane melketenner innenfor Den norske mor og barn kohort studien (MoBa). Status og validering av målinger per 2016. Hva kan en slik biobank brukes til nå og i fremtiden? Masteroppgave UiB 2017.
     
  • Marte Krohn Sjursen, Ida Haugenes Aleksandersen. Analysemetoder for biomarkører i melketenner. Masteroppgave UiB 2019.