Dental Caries in Albino Rats Fed Diets Containing Different Amounts of Calcium and Phosphorus with the Same Ca/P Ratio

¹ Emory University School of Dentistry, Atlanta, Georgia

The calcium and phosphorus concentration of our high-sucrose diet fed to albino rats was increased in equal amounts, thereby maintaining a constant Ca/P ratio.

With an increase in the calcium and phosphorus from 0.25 to 0.50 to 1.00 per cent, there was a progressive decrease in the number of carious lesions and the caries score.

The caries conduciveness of the diet was not affected by a further increase in the calcium and phosphorus concentration to 1.5 per cent.

These results confirm the conclusion deduced from previous observations, namely, that the cariogenicity of our high-sucrose diet is influenced by the actual amount of calcium and phosphorus in the diet and not by the Ca/P ratio.