DENTAL CARIES IN THE COTTON RAT

II. PRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE CARIOUS LESIONS

¹ Department of Biochemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.

The type of carious lesions occurring in the molar teeth of a strain of cotton rats and the method of production of these carious lesions is presented. The sucrose rations which were used to produce the high incidence of carious lesions are described, along with the experimental handling of the cotton rats. The high susceptibility of the molar teeth of the cotton rats fed a sucrose ration is in very great contrast to the high resistance of those fed the various caries-preventing rations.

The authors believe that the cotton rat is the most caries-susceptible experimental animal yet reported. Its use is recommended in many types of research involving the causes and control of dental caries.