EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF THE INDICATORS OF THE INTENSITY OF RAT TOOTH CARIES LESIONS UNDER THE BACKGROUND OF MULTIPLE CARIES MODELING AND THERAPEUTIC AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Abstract

Excessive consumption of carbohydrates, including sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, significantly increases the risk of developing multiple caries, as confirmed by both experimental and clinical studies. This underscores the need to develop effective therapeutic and prophylactic complexes capable of preventing carious lesions as well as reducing their intensity and depth. Aim of the study. To evaluate the effect of a therapeutic complex of drugs on the parameters of caries lesion intensity in rats’ teeth against the background of multiple caries modeling. Materials and methods. The study involved 30 one-month-old white Wistar rats (body weight 70±5 g), divided into three groups: an intact group (n=10); a group with multiple caries modeling (n=10); and a group with multiple caries modeling plus an additional application of the therapeutic and prophylactic complex (TPC) (n=10). Over a 60-day period, animals in the second and third groups were given a cariesogenic diet high in refined sugar to induce multiple caries. Rats in the third group additionally received the studied TPC. At the end of the experiment, the jaws were examined and studied to determine the number and depth of carious cavities. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using the STATISTICA 6.1 software and Student’s t-test. Results. Rats in the second group (cariesogenic diet) showed a significant increase in both the number and depth of carious lesions compared with the intact group. Prolonged use of the TPC in the third group reduced the number of carious cavities and their depth to levels approaching those of intact rats, indicating a pronounced caries-preventive effect of the proposed complex. Conclusions. The developed therapeutic-prophylactic complex of drugs demonstrates high efficacy in preventing caries and reducing the severity of multiple carious lesions in rat teeth. The application of this TPC may represent a promising direction in the development of modern prophylactic strategies and treatment approaches for caries associated with excessive carbohydrate intake and diminished macro- and microelement supply.