The Effects of a High Carbohydrate Diet on the Teeth of Parabiosed Albino Rats

Abstract

The present investigation was made on 10 pairs of parabionts, fed a balanced diet as controls, and 20 paris of parabionts fed on the exptl. diet of 50% by volume mixture of refined dextrose and balanced diet. Pairs of both groups were sacrificed at varying intervals, the jaws removed and fixed in 10% formalin. Presence of caries was detd. by a sharp probe under the dissecting microscope and confirmed by sectioning. The 1st group showed a low caries incidence (1 pair); while in the 2d group all the animals had carious mandibular molars after 46 days on the diet. In those pairs in which parabiosis was successful (1. normal physical growth, 2. skin union with complete obliteration of the suture line and 3. uniform hair growth) there was an equal and similarly-patterned mandibular molar caries incidence in each parabiont. It is concluded that pairs of albino rats in successful parabiosis constitute a well-controlled system for investigation of factors affecting the incidence of dental caries.