Effects of dietary fats on the fatty acid composition of enamel and dentinal lipids of rabbit molars.

The effect of dietary fats such as butter, lard, cottonseed oil, and hydrogenated cottonseed oil on the fatty acid composition of enamel and dentin lipids of rabbit molars was studied. The enamel and dentin of molars of all of the rabbits contained a variety of fatty acids, palmitic, stearic, oliec, linoleic, and eicosapentaenoic being the major ones. Enamal lipids were more unsaturated than dentinal lipids in all of the groups. A significant difference was noticed in the fatty acid composition of both the enamel and dentin between these four groups of rabbits. Linoleic acid content was highest in both the enamel and dentin lipids of rabbits fed cottonseed oil. There was no marked difference in the saturated-unsaturated fatty acid ratio in both the enamel and dentin among rabbits fed cottonseed oil, lard, and butter. It is concluded that tooth lipids are responsive to diets and are in direct equilibrium with dietary components.