Nutrition and Caries XII. Endogenic versus Exogenic Factors

¹ Netherlands Institute of Nutrition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Caries was evaluated in two generations of rats fed either a cariogenic (RAN) or non-cariogenic (PATC) diet in an attempt to assay the relative importance of endogenic and exogenic factors in the carious process.

The animals fed the non-cariogenic diet from their fourth week of life had significantly less caries than those fed the cariogenic ration. Offspring from parents fed the non-cariogenic diet proved to be somewhat protected against the cariogenic effects of the RAN diet; however, offspring fed the non-cariogenic diet, although their parents had been fed the cariogenic ration, showed much greater resistance to caries than did offspring fed the cariogenic diet whose parents had received the non-cariogenic diet. Growth was significantly greater in animals consuming the non-cariogenic ration.