Advances in Dental Research, Vol 8, 225-228, Copyright © 1994 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Cariogenicity tests
T. Imfeld
Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, University Dental Institute, Zurich, Switzerland.
An American Dental Association Scientific Consensus Conference on Methods
for the Assessment of the Cariogenic Potential (CP) of Foods was held in
San Antonio, Texas, in 1985. The aim was to establish a scientific
consensus regarding methods to assess the CP of foods. As a result, a
sequential food-testing program was proposed involving Animal Caries, Human
Plaque Acidity, and Demineralization/Remineralization Models. Two
categories of CP--namely, no CP and low CP--were included. The test
protocol has hardly been followed since, primarily because the category of
low CP was not considered useful in dietary counseling. It is advocated
that research into possible caries-preventive factors of food will be more
beneficial for improvements of the oral health of the general population
than assessments of low CP.
