title: Initial caries diagnosis in rat molars, using laser fluorescence.
abstract: Scoring of enamel caries in rat molars in ordinary light and in laser fluorescence was compared. Fifty rats were infected with Streptococcus mutans; 5 served as control rats, and the other 45 were fed a cariogenic diet for 15-20 days. With Keyes's system, the total enamel caries score for 35 of the test rats was 29.1 lesions per rat (l/r) in ordinary light and 39.6 l/r in laser fluorescence. The corresponding scores for fissure caries were 15.9 l/r and 21.6 l/r, respectively. Fissure caries scores of thin, longitudinal, central sections from the molars of the 10 remaining test rats were 18.0 l/r in ordinary light, 21.4 l/r in laser fluorescence, and 17.1 l/r in microradiographic analysis. In conclusion, the use of laser fluorescence improves scoring of early enamel carious lesions in rat molars, offering potential reductions in test time and/or sucrose load in animal caries research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hafström-Björkman
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angmar-Månsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003743:Dental Enamel; D003750:Dental Fissures / Q000175:diagnosis; D004037:Diet, Cariogenic; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D008852:Microradiography; D008963:Molar; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013295:Streptococcus mutans