Role Of Molybdenum In Preventing Caries

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30085, 20 March 1963, Page 18

Role Of Molybdenum In Preventing Caries

Not only fluorine, but to a lesser extent molybdenum, may be important in protecting children's teeth from decay. This conclusion was reached by three New Zealand research scientists through a survey of the teeth of children in Napier and Hastings, and of the teeth of rats fed on material derived from vegetables grown in and around the two cities. The three scientists are Mr T. G. Ludwig, director of the dental research unit of the New Zealand Medical Research Council, Wellington; Mr R. S. Malthus, of the nutrition research unit of the council at the Otago Medical School, Dunedin; and Dr. W. B. Healy, of the Soil Bureau of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Wellington. They found that the teeth of children born in Napier from about 1945 onwards were better than those of children bom in Hastings before 1954. when fluoridation was started in that city, and better also than of children from Palmerston North, were fluoridation has been introduced only recently. They believe the difference is a result of the occupation in and around Napier of areas raised from the sea by the 1931 earthquake, an occupation which began only in a major way about 1945.

The only difference in diet between the children of Napier and Hastings appeared to be that many of the vegetables eaten in Napier came from the newly-occupied soils, while Hastings had its own supply from areas round that city- When vegetables from the two areas were analysed, Napier vegetables were found to be higher in certain trace elements than Hastings vegetables, and lower, in others.

Acting on suggestions from other workers that Molybdenum might be the element next in importance after fluorine in preventing caries, the scientists reduced french beans from the two cities to ash, and undertook a feeding experiment with white rats fed on a diet which, if not supplemented, led to a high frequency of caries. The rates were divided into four groups: the first were fed only the cariogenic ration, the second, the ration with Napier vegetable ash added; the third, the ration with Hastings vegetable ash; and the fourth, the same ration but with both Hastings ash and an amount of molybdenum sufficient to raise the level of the element in the feed to that in the ration supplemented by Napier ash. Research of Tests

The rates with most caries were those with no ash supplement; next highest were those with only Hastings ash; third highest, those with Hastings ash and molybdenum; and least, those with Napier ash. From this result, it was concluded that molybdenum was an important factor, but not the only one, in making the natural caries resistance of Napier children's teeth better than that of Hastings teeth fin pre-fluoridation days). To check this result, rate on a cariogenic diet were given molybdenum in their drink-ing-water, and were found to have better caries resistance than others without ’ the molybdenum. It was also shown that rats whose mothers were fed the ash supplement from the beginning of pregnancy, had teeth more resistant to decay than those of of rats which received the supplement only from the time of weaning. An experiment is now start-

ing on supplementing a cariogenic diet in rats with ash derived from beans grown on Hastings soils treated with molybdenised superphosphate. Surveys on the same lines as that in Napier and Hastings have also been started in other parts of New Zealand.