[The establishment efficiency of S. sobrinus OMZ 176 in a model caries experiment on the Osborne-Mendel rat]

S. sobrinus OMZ 176 was inoculated in young OM rats during tooth eruption in two experiments and the microbial composition of dental plaque as well as the caries decay was estimated after 25 days on cariogenic sucrose rich diet. Germs were reproducibly established in the oral cavity by such way. The resulting caries decay correlated with the streptococci in the dental plaque. Due to this fact it seems to be necessary to identify not only the inoculated microorganisms at the end of each animal experiment but also to estimate the qualitative composition of the whole dental flora which may have an essential cariogenic effect.