Longitudinal Study of Cariostatic Effects of Sodium Trimetaphosphate and Sodium Fluoride When Fed Separately and Together in Diets of Rats

¹ Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

In a 2 X 2 factorially designed longitudinal experiment, sodium trimetaphosphate (TMP) (1.31%) or sodium fluoride (0.011%) or both were added to a caries-promoting diet and fed to pregnant rats and to their pups until they were killed. Carious lesions were scored in the pups. Both the fluoride and the trimetaphosphate supplement retarded caries development, but the trimetaphosphate was less effective in promoting maturation of the molars and much less effective than fluorine in reducing the solubility of the incisors in acid solutions in vitro. A significant negative interaction was noted when the diet was supplemented with both Na₃ (PO₃)₃ and NaF, indicating that the effects were not independent.In a 2 X 2 factorially designed longitudinal experiment, sodium trimetaphosphate (TMP) (1.31%) or sodium fluoride (0.01 1%) or both were added to a caries-promoting diet and fed to pregnant rats and to their pups until they were killed. Carious lesions were scored in the pups. Both the fluoride and the trimetaphosphate supplement retarded caries development, but the trimetaphosphate was less effective in promoting maturation of the molars and much less effective than fluorine in reducing the solubility of the incisors in acid solutions in vitro. A significant negative interaction was noted when the diet was supplemented with both Na3 (PO₃)₃ and NaF, indicating that the effects were not independent.

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