Influence of iron alone or with fluoride on caries development in desalivated and intact rats.

Sugar is used as a vehicle for iron fortification in communities where anemia is prevalent. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between caries experience and iron concentration in sugar fed to rats subjected to a severe cariogenic challenge. Desalivated and intact animals were assigned to 4 different diet subgroups, 3 receiving iron sucrose (350, 175 and 88 ppm Fe) and a control group. The influence of iron sugar combined with 10 ppm F in drinking water was explored in an additional study. Iron reduces the incidence of smooth-surface carries in desalivated rats at concentrations as low as 88 ppm Fe. In addition, a combination of iron and fluoride reduced the incidence of dental caries in our rats.