Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Influence of eating frequency upon plaque formation and periodontal bone loss
Abstract:
The normal oral flora of weanling Osborne-Mendel rats was suppressed with penicillin, then bone resorption was induced in the test group by inoculation with Actinomyces viscosus Ny 1. In the control group the oral flora was suppressed with erythromycin. A programmable feeding machine forced the rats into extremely varied eating frequencies. Rats which ate less frequently than normal exhibited significantly less bone loss. Frequent eating was correlated with elevated plaque accumulation. AVIS-inoculated animals exhibited significantly (P less than 0.001) more plaque than antibiotic-treated rats. Both inoculated as well as non-inoculated animals exhibited significantly more plaque (P less than 0.001) when fed 28 times per day, in comparison to all other feeding schedules. AVIS-inoculated animals exhibited significantly (P less than 0.001) more bone loss than the antibiotic-treated rats. Inoculated animals which were fed only seven times per day exhibited significantly (P less than 0.05) less bone loss than similarly inoculated animals fed more frequently. Bone loss in the antibiotic-treated animals was independent of feeding frequency. Among the other feeding frequencies (14 and 28 x/day, and ad libitum), there were no significant differences either in AVIS-inoculated or in antibiotic-treated animals.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Remodeling
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Essential Minerals for Bone Health
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
The Oral Microbiota
Development of the Oral Microbiota

