OBSERVATIONS ON INDUCED DENTAL CARIES IN RATS

I. REDUCTION BY FLUORIDES AND IODOACETIC ACID

¹ National Institute of Health, U. S. Public Health Service, Washington, D. C.

A considerable amount of data relative to the effects of Galesburg (Ill.) drinking water, Quincy (Ill.) drinking water, and water containing 2 ppm. fluorine as sodium fluoride on induced corn meal rat caries has been accumulated. This data has been found inadequate to demonstrate different effects, but it calls attention to a litter membership factor in rats with respect to their caries susceptibility.

The presence of 125 ppm. of fluorine as sodium fluoride in the food or water and the presence of 200 ppm. of iodoacetic acid in the food, together with 20 ppm. of iodoacetic acid in the drinking water, significantly reduce the production of caries in rats fed a caries-producing corn meal diet.

The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the Section on Nutrition Investigations, Division of Chemistry, in carrying on part of the work involved in this paper.