Mineralization of a Cereal Diet as It Affects Cariogenicity

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Abstract
This investigation concerns the effect of certain mineral alterations of a raw whole wheat diet on its cariogenicity for white rats. The alterations were: replacement of dietary CaHPO4 by equivalent Na2HPO4 with and without 1% NaCl supplementation, the withdrawal of the dietary supplementation of phosphorus, addition of NaCl to cariogenic diets with and without CaHPO4 supplementation. Littermate Sprague-Dawley strain rats were fed at weaning each set of comparative diets and maintained with them for 60 days. The caries produced were the smooth-surface type. Replacing CaHPO4 by Na2HPO4 decreased cariogenicity of the diet, and NaCl supplementation was also cariostatic in the presence of dietary CaHPO4. Removal of CaHPO4 from the diet did not alter its cariogenicity. Supplementation by NaCl was cariostatic in the 2 diets formulated with and without CaHPO4. The sodium content of the persistently cariogenic diets was approximately one-fifth that recommended as needed for growth of weanling rats. It is suggested that inadequate sodium is related to the cariogenicity of the high cereal reference diets.