title: The effects of different levels of dietary sucrose on root caries subsequent to gingivectomy in conventional rats infected with Actinomyces viscosus M-100.
abstract: Three groups of weanling, Sprague-Dawley-derived rats were inoculated with Actinomyces viscosus M-100 and fed powdered diet containing either 67%, 5%, or 0% confectioner's sugar. Two further groups were fed diet containing 5% confectioner's sugar and inoculated with Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 or S. sobrinus 6715 plus A. viscosus M-100. The most coronal 1 mm of gingiva was removed from maxillary and mandibular right molar quadrants (gingivectomy), and the animals re-inoculated following gingivectomy. The animals were killed 64 days following gingivectomy, and the lingual surface of mandibular first molar roots was measured for exposed root-surface area and root caries. In the groups of rats infected with A. viscosus M-100, root caries area was significantly greater in the group fed diet containing 67% confectioner's sugar. Sucrose level did not significantly affect the amount of exposed lingual first molar root area regardless of whether the tooth had been subjected to a gingivectomy. In the groups of rats receiving diet containing 5% confectioner's sugar, there were no significant differences in root caries area or exposed root-surface area, regardless of the infection status of the animals. In the rat model presented here, a high level of dietary sucrose was a necessary condition for the initiation of root caries in the absence of other readily fermentable carbohydrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Univeristy of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Firestone
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Feagin
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D005890:Gingivectomy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D013395:Sucrose