Effect of the antineoplastic agents doxorubicin and methotrexate on rat caries and secondary dentin formation.

Because childhood cancer and/or its therapy is known to increase both dental caries and developmental defects in enamel, this experimental study was carried out to obtain information on the effect of two frequently used anticancer drugs, doxorubicin and methotrexate, on fissure caries and dentinal metabolism in healthy rats. Both drugs significantly reduced caries prevalence in the rat molars, the dentinal lesions that developed also being smaller than in the controls. Secondary dentin formation was slightly reduced, probably because of the lower caries prevalence in the rat molars and/or because of the action of the drugs. Thus, these two drugs could scarcely have been the reason for the increased caries activity in cancer patients.