Responsible Use of Animals in Research Position Statement
Introduction
Animal models used in scientific research have played vital roles in nearly every major advance in medicine and healthcare1. In the field of dental, oral, and craniofacial research, which focuses on the head, face, jaw, teeth, and related structures, use of laboratory animal models remains especially important. That is because these areas of the body are intimately connected to essential functions such as breathing, eating, and speaking. Even small problems in these regions can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, appearance, and emotional well-being2.
When doctors and scientists work to correct facial or jaw abnormalities, whether they are caused by birth (congenital) defects, injuries, or diseases such as cancer, they must carefully balance form and function. Because of the complex nature of craniofacial anatomy, oftentimes a treatment may solve one issue while creating another if all the moving parts of the face and skull are not working together and correctly. For this reason, researchers rely on animal models to investigate how treatments will work in the real world3, long before those treatments are considered safe and effective for use in humans.
Why Use of Animals Is Still Needed in Craniofacial Research
The justification of using animal models in craniofacial research is that they can replicate the complex interactions among cells and tissues3. Animal research can also benefit the health of both domestic and wild animals4. These processes are difficult to accurately replicate using cell cultures, organoids, or computational simulations5,6. For example, zebrafish are used to study how facial features develop during early growth and how genes may influence that process. These fish are small and grow quickly, so they allow researchers to track changes over time and identify what causes certain birth defects.
Mice through their normal genetic and phenotypic variation and their genomes which can be manipulated are powerful tools to dissect much of what we know about how gene networks and pathways influence human craniofacial development and the underlying basis of birth defects7.
Larger animals such as pigs and dogs and smaller animals such as rats and rabbits are used to investigate for example surgical techniques or to test new materials, such as implants made from 3D-printed or natural (e.g. collagen) biomaterials8. These animal models are especially useful when researchers are trying to rebuild large parts of the face or jaw, something that may be necessary after a serious injury, such as car accident injury, or tumor removal. The goal is to ensure these materials are strong, safe, and not rejected by the body before they are ever used in human patients.
Animal studies can also help scientists explore new treatments beyond surgery. This includes applications such as tissue engineering (growing bone or cartilage), drug delivery directly to damaged areas, understanding how the immune system responds to injuries or infections, and use of stem cells to promote healing and regenerate craniofacial structures, including teeth. Computer models and lab-grown tissues are useful tools and they have markedly improved in recent years. Yet, they cannot fully replicate how living systems react to complex procedures, especially when many organs and systems, including the immune system, are involved9. Recent advances in the treatment of dental, oral, and craniofacial disorders include protein replacement therapies, antibody therapies, and gene therapies. These innovations have significantly improved oral health, addressing conditions ranging from rare, previously untreatable disorders to widespread diseases affecting billions of people worldwide10,11,12. The lives saved and improved by these treatments would not be possible without the continued use of animal research in these critical areas.
Oversight and Ethical Review of Animal Research
The use of animals in dental, oral, and craniofacial research is highly regulated. Every study that involves animals must be extensively reviewed and approved by a special committee before it is allowed to proceed. The committee, known as Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), is typically composed of scientists, veterinarians, and members of the public. Their job is to ensure that any use of animals is absolutely necessary, the research is of high quality, and the animals are treated humanely and ethically. Only when the expected benefits are clear and meaningful, and when no other methods can provide the same information, can a project move forward.
Dental, oral, and craniofacial researchers are also committed to the “Three Rs” of animal research:
Replacement: Using non-animal methods when possible (such as computer simulations or cell culture).
Reduction: Using the fewest animals needed to get reliable and reproducible results.
Refinement: Improving the way animals are housed, cared for, and treated to reduce any pain, discomfort, or stress.
These values are not just guidelines, they are strict requirements enforced by law, institutional policies, and scientific ethics13. IACUC has the authority to intervene and stop animal research if any violations are observed or reported.
AADOCR supports use of the published reporting guidelines such as Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines and specialty-specific reporting frameworks such as the Preferred Reporting Items for Animal Studies in Endodontology (PRIASE) guidelines14 which provide criteria for study design, sample size, inclusion and exclusion criteria, randomization and blinding, outcome measures, statistical methods, the species, strain, substrain, sex, weight, and age of animals, procedures and results15.
New Technologies and the Future of Animal Research
We are in an exciting time when new technologies are giving us more ways to study health and disease without using animals. Advanced computer models, “organ-on-a-chip” systems, and 3D tissue cultures, known as organoids, are helping to answer questions that once required animal experiments. These tools will continue to grow in power and usefulness, and AADOCR fully supports further research to develop and use promising new technologies.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which funds a significant portion of biomedical research in the United States, supports the reduction in the use of animals in research16. AADOCR supports this goal and efforts to implement new technologies, wherever possible. Nevertheless, it is essential to recognize that we are not yet at a point where animal research can be eliminated entirely, particularly for studies that involve craniofacial development or the body’s response to treatments, such as surgery, immune reactions, or long-term healing.
Our Commitment
As a scientific association committed to using research to improve dental, oral, and craniofacial health, we uphold our obligation to treat animals with dignity and compassion. Studies with animals should only be carried out when absolutely required and only after carefully weighing other approaches. Animals must only be utilized in studies that have a good chance of benefiting humans and animals in significant ways. We also support open and honest communication with the public regarding the purpose of animal research, its regulation, and the steps being taken by scientists to reduce harm. We remain focused on improving human health, while protecting the dignity and well-being of the animals that make such progress possible. We will continue to support the development of new tools and approaches that will reduce the need for animals in research, while always aiming to develop safe and effective treatments based on the strongest science available.
(adopted 2026)
