EFFECT OF FOOD ASH, PHOSPHATE, AND TRACE MINERALS UPON HAMSTER CARIES

¹ Department of Food Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.

The ash (550° C.) of a caries-producing diet was added to this diet, thereby doubling its mineral content. In comparison with the control diet, this ash-supplemented diet caused a 65 per cent reduction in dental caries when fed for 112 days to hamsters, beginning when they were 8 days old.

A salt mixture containing 11 elements in the same proportions and amounts as this ash was added to the caries-producing diet. The caries score in hamsters was reduced by 95 per cent.

When a phosphorus-free salt mixture was added to the caries-producing diet, the caries score was increased.

The cariostatic effect of phosphorus was not related to the Ca: P ratios of the diets, because both high and low caries scores were observed with diets with the same Ca: P ratios. Low caries scores were observed only with those diets containing high levels of phosphorus.

These results indicate that the cariogenicity of experimental diets may be dependent upon their content of available phosphorus. Diets low in available phosphorus content may be cariogenic, while those rich in available phosphorus content may be cariostatic.