The cariogenic potential of several snack foods.

The use of the animal model and the Konig-Hofer program-feeding machine is a valuable tool in the research effort to identify the factors contributing to dental caries. As this methodology provides uniform host, microflora, and frequency components, the food is the variable being evaluated. The relative cariogenicity of food is dependent on variations in the composition, texture, solubility, retentiveness, and ability to stimulate saliva flow. The results of these experiments indicated the equal importance of all food-related parameters on dental caries formation. If the composition of foods was solely responsible for dental caries formation, all three of the granola bars should have had similar relative cariogenicity values. This was not true. Granola bar no. 3, which was crispier in texture and less moist, had a third the relative cariogenicity value of granola bars nos. 1 and 2. As reported by other dental researchers, the production of dental caries is food related, but not simplistic in nature. Dental caries is the outcome of complicated interactions, all of which are equally important in the progress of this disease.