The Influence of Age in the Development of Dental Caries in the Rat (Rattus Norvegicus)

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Abstract
A total of 178 rats from Hunt and Hoppert''s genetically susceptible strain were placed on the "coarse" (caries-accelerating) Hop-pert diet at 35 days, 100 days, and 150 days of age. The 35-day group (control) developed caries 29.3 i 1.0 days after the diet change; the 100-day group at 52.5 [plus or minus] 8.5 days, and 150-day group at 42.8 i 5.4 days. A 4th group of 15 additional rats, left on the fine" (caries-retarding) ration exceeded the control group by 23 [plus or minus] 7.4 days in resistance to decay. A new variation of the same diet, compounded with rice flour in place of ground rice, prevented the development of caries before the ages of 100 or 150 days in 94% of the animals tested. These facts clearly indicate the potency of environmental differences between genetically similar animals in resistance to caries. Two susceptible rats exhibited unexpected resistance to tooth decay when placed on the coarse ration at 150 days of age. Six animals showed extreme susceptibility to caries, so that they were unable to attain the age of 150 days on the rice flour mixture without developing caries.
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