The Effect of Dietary Pancreatin Supplements on Dental Caries and on the Composition of Saliva in Caries-susceptible Rats

¹ Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts

In caries-susceptible rats, the dietary supplementation of pancreatin at levels of 0.5 and 1.0 per cent resulted in a significant reduction in dental caries at the latter level and an insignificant trend toward lower scores at the former. Increases in submandibular gland weights were less than those previously reported at the same levels of supplementation for shorter experimental periods. No significant difference in the salivary total protein concentration was observed between groups, though the relative protein concentration of components 1 and 2 appeared to increase and that of components 3 and 10 appeared to decrease with increased pancreatin supplementation. Pilocarpine-elicited flow rates appeared to increase with increased pancreatic supplementation to female rats but were variably increased and decreased in the males at the same level of supplementation.

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