Influence of early environment of newborn rats on development of dental caries

Abstract

Rats born of mothers who were treated with tetracycline the first 19 days of pregnancy, and kept with their mothers during the caries test period, developed significantly less caries activity than the offspring of control mothers. Partial litters were exchanged between control and tetracycline-treated mothers, when the offspring were less than 48 hr old, but caged separately during the caries test period. The levels of caries activity of the various groups of animals from the mixed litters ranged between those of the unmixed litters, reflecting the environmental effect of both the natural and the nursing mother. It was shown, therefore, that the environment of the rat during the first 48 hr of life may affect the later development of caries.