THE EFFECT OF CADMIUM ON THE PRODUCTION OF CARIES IN THE RAT

¹ Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Physicians and Surgeons, A. School of Dentistry San Francisco, Calif.

1. When 0.004% cadmium chloride is administered to rats in drinking water during the period of calcification of their molars, it is not taken up by the calcifying tooth.

2. When the drinking water contains cadmium from birth to 123 days of age, the molars acquire an average of 0.003% cadmium.

3. The presence of this amount of cadmium does not increase the number of carious lesions produced by the coarse corn diet, but it does appear to increase the rate at which caries progresses.