Caries Development in Experimentally Diabetic Rats

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between experimentally induced diabetes and the caries development in rats. Methods: A total of 42 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were used in this study. At baseline, the animals were weighted and blood glucose levels were determined. Experimental diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of the diabetogenic agent streptozotosin. Seven days later, experimentally induced diabetic rats blood glucose levels were measured again and only the rats with blood glucose levels above 250mg/dl were included. Following the induction of experimental disease, the animals were divided into two groups; 1) systemically healthy group (n=21), 2) experimentally induced diabetes group (n=21). Seven weeks after baseline, the animals were weighted and sacrificed. The maxillary molars were prepared for the analysis of dental caries. The upper jaws were dissected, defleshed and sectioned sagittally by using a 0.1mm thick diamond disk saw under water cooling, in an oblique parasagittal plane. All the sectioned molars and fissures were stained with Schiff reagent to reveal caries lesions in dentine and enamel. The lesions in each fissure (two fissures in the first, two in the second and one in the third molars) were examined and classified into one of the following grades: 1 = no lesion, 2 = enamel lesion, 3= initial dentine lesion, 4 = advanced dentine lesion or 5 = cavitation. The data were statistically evaluated by using Mann Whitney U test. Results: The mean dental caries score was 0.24±0.43 for healthy group and 0.60±0.95 for diabetes group. The difference between groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: Rats with diabetes demonstrated an increased caries development tendency compared to non-diabetic rats at seven weeks. The results of this study confirmed an association between diabetes and dental caries.