INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF ALUMINUM MOUTHRINSES ON RAT DENTAL-CARIES AND PLAQUE

The effects of topically applied mouthrinses containing AlCl3, or AlK( SO4)(2) on dental caries and plaque were investigated in a rat model. For comparison, NaF and a two-step treatment of AlCl3 and NaF were als o tested. Six groups of 20 weanling rats were inoculated with Streptoc occus sobrinus 6715 and provided a caries-inducing diet and distilled water ad libitum. Test agents were topically applied twice daily 5 day s per week at a concentration of 0.037 mol/l in a mouthrinse vehicle a nd were compared with a vehicle control rinse and a distilled water co ntrol. After 10 weeks none of the treatments reduced plaque amounts re lative to the controls. The AlCl3 and AlK(SO4)(2) rinses significantly reduced both smooth-surface and sulcal caries by approximately 40%. T he cariostatic activity of the aluminum rinses was equivalent to an eq uimolar NaF mouthrinse on smooth surface lesions, but was statisticall y less than NaF on sulcal caries. The two-step treatment with AlCl3 an d NaF indicated numerically additive effects, but the results were not statistically better than with NaF alone. Dentine caries progression paralleled the enamel caries prevalence results. No deaths, toxicologi c effects, or inhibition of growth rates were observed in any treatmen t group. This study confirmed that topically applied solutions of alum inum salts inhibited caries formation in the rat caries model and show ed that the cariostatic activity of aluminum was maintained in a compa tible mouthrinse vehicle.