title: Cariogenicity of Milchschnitte (Ferrero GmbH) and apple in program-fed rats.
abstract: The cariogenicity of Ferrero Milchschnitte and apple was tested in rats using a frequency-controlled feeding machine. Twelve litters of Osborne-Mendel rats orally infected with Streptococcus sobrinus OMZ-176 and Actinomyces viscosus Ny-1 were used. Four treatment groups were tested: (1) cooked starch/sucrose 1:1 as positive control; (2) Ferrero Milchschnitte; (3) apple; (4) gastric intubation only as negative control. Groups 1-3 were additionally fed by gastric intubation with essential nutrients. Rats on Milchschnitte and apple had less fissure and smooth-surface caries than rats on a starch/sucrose diet, but significantly more than the negative controls. The Milchschnitte group exhibited less plaque extent than the positive and the negative control. The apple group showed a higher plaque extent and massively extended erosions on molar surfaces. The CFU means of S. sobrinus were decreasing from treatment 1-4. Although differences between treatments were not significant, they were associated by concomitantly decreasing caries incidence. The test foods were also assessed using intraoral plaque-pH telemetry in 6 human volunteers. Both Milchschnitte and apple were acidogenic in human telemetry. They can therefore not be regarded as safe for teeth.
authors.affiliation: Animal Research Unit, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imfeld
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guggenheim
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000737:chemistry; D004037:Diet, Cariogenic; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005638:Fruit / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000009:adverse effects; D016986:Streptococcus sobrinus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013395:Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects; D013686:Telemetry
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D013012:Sorbitol; D013395:Sucrose