OBSERVATIONS ON INDUCED CARIES IN RATS

V. EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE SUGAR IN THE DIET

¹ Division of Physiology, Dental Research Section, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Md.

Contrary to reports of similar studies, groups of white rats developed a significant incidence of microscopic dental caries when fed synthetic diets containing excessive quantities of sucrose and glucose. Control rats fed a similar diet in which starch replaced the sugars developed no caries. Failure to duplicate initial success with excessive sugar diets is attributed to a reduced caries susceptibility in animals available for subsequent studies. There was some evidence that fluorine exposure during formative tooth life may have been one of several unknown and uncontrolled pre-experimental factors which caused the erratic caries response among the several groups of rats. A diet containing 70% granulated sugar had an unmistakable abrasive action which was noted on the occlusal surfaces and particularly in the exposed dentin of rats molar teeth.

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