Comparative Caries Experience of Littermate Rats Fed three Different Cariogenic Rations

Abstract

The comparative caries experience of littermate rats fed 3 distinct cario-genic rations was studied. One diet was a highly purified sucrose-containing ration similar to diet 593 of Stephan and Harris; another was a non-heat-processed wheat-flour-containing ration similar to diet 256 of McClure; and the third was a roller-process skim-milk-containing ration similar to diet 635 of McClure and Falk. The average caries score after 90 days of feeding was 46.8 on the purified high-sucrose diet; 14.9 on the wheat-flour diet; and 3.7 on the skim-milk-containing diet. No correlation existed between the microscopic appearance of the thyroid and submaxillary glands and average caries score.