III. The Effect of Bromide on Experimental Rat Caries
Four Figures
Reidar F. Sognnaes
Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
1. The absence of caries previously observed in rats bred bymothers subsisting on a natural stock diet, as compared to theextensive caries produced in rats bred on a purified ration,cannot be attributed to the presence of bromine in the stockdiet, because the addition of high doses of bromide to the purifiedration, during tooth development, failed to provide caries protection.
2. The caries susceptibility observed in rats bred by motherssubsisting on a purified diet is not decreased but appears tobe somewhat increased by the addition of bromide to the dietduring the period of tooth development alone. The possibilityis considered that bromine added to a purified ration may takethe place of a factor more essential to the caries resistanceof the developing teeth.
3. Caries could be reduced, however,when the bromide supplementwas continued after eruption ofthe teeth. This seems to suggestthat one and the same factor(at least when added to a purifieddiet) may be ineffectiveor unfavorable to the teeth duringtheir development and stillbe favorable after tooth eruption.
4. It is suggested thatmore effective caries inhibitors maybe found in food factorswhich exert a favorable action duringtooth development as wellas posteruptively.