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Bicarbonate-based Dental Powder, Fluoride, and Saccharin Inhibition of Dental Caries Associated with Streptococcus mutans Infection of Rats

Department of Oral Diagnosis, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06032, Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06032

L. Grant

Departments of Oral Diagnosis, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06032

T. McMahon

Department of Oral Diagnosis, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06032

The effects of NaHCO ₃-based dental powder containing NaF and sodium saccharin on dental caries and Streptococcus mutans recoveries in rats were studied. Weanling specific-pathogen-free Osborne-Mendel (SPFOM) rats were inoculated with S. mutans NCTC-10449S. Four infected groups were topically treated with either demineralized water (DW), a dental powder suspended such that there was 1 part solid per 2 parts DW, 0.073% NaF, or a combination of 0.073% NaF and 0.5% Na-saccharin (Nas). NaF-supplemented DW (at 10 ppm F-) was provided to a 5th group of infected rats as a positive treatment control, but this group was otherwise untreated. A sixth but uninfected group was topically treated with DW. All topical treatments were given once for 1 min daily per rat, for 5 days per week. Animals' teeth were swabbed for recovery of 10449S and total recoverable flora. Recoveries of 10449S were lower from powder-treated rats than from DW-treated rats. This difference approached but did not reach statistical significance. Total caries scores were 51% lower for the dental powder, 36% lower for the topical NaF, 34% lower for the combined NaF-Nas, and 54% lower for the NaF-supplemented drinking water group, all p < 0. 001. While all of the treatments inhibited smooth-surface caries, the dental powder effects, like those for the combined NaF-Nas, and NaF drinking water, were evident in fissure tooth surfaces as well. Both the 10 ppm F- drinking water and the dental powder significantly reduced fissure caries scores below the level elicited by the indigenous mutans-free flora in the DW-treated uninfected rats; however, these reductions were not significantly different from one another. Thus, the 10 ppm F- drinking water and the dental powder equally inhibited not only the S. mutans-attributable component of caries but probably also the component of caries attributable to the indigenous oral flora.

Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 67, No. 6, 969-972 (1988)
DOI: 10.1177/00220345880670061601


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