Effects of excess vitamin E on rat teeth.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the feeding of excess vitamin E during tooth formation changes the mineral content of teeth. Purified diets containing 0, 250, and 2500 IU vitamin E per kg were fed to 15-day pregnant rats and continued during lactation and to the pups after weaning. Rats were killed at 2 and 4 weeks after weaning. Incisors and molars were weighed, ashed, and the percent of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus was determined. Feeding of excess vitamin E (2500 IU/kg diet) had no deleterious effect on percent ash or mineral composition of rat teeth. In fact, molars from rats fed excess vitamin E had slightly higher calcium and phosphorus levels. Such differences were also apparent but to a lesser extent in the dentin and enamel composition.