El presente articulo analiza la evidencia cientifica disponible acerca del uso de ratas y ratones en la investigacion de caries dental. En el estudio de la caries dental ha contribuido decisivamente al entendimiento de su etiologia y patogenia. Desde 1922, cuando se disenaron los primeros experimentos in vivo para confirmar las observaciones en humanos, y hasta la fecha, la rata sigue siendo el modelo animal mas usado para este proposito. El objetivo de los primeros experimentos se oriento a encontrar la asociacion entre las formulas alimenticias y el grado de las lesiones cariosas. Sin embargo, los resultados experimentales no pudieron comprobar esta correlacion, pero si permitieron establecer la asociacion entre microrganismos propios de la flora oral y la caries, y reconocer que, debido a su acidogenicidad, el principal microrganismo cariogenico es el Streptococcus mutans. El modelo de rata y raton tambien ha sido fundamental en el estudio de las relaciones existentes entre algunas condiciones sistemicas y la caries. Recientemente, la disponibilidad de cepas de roedores modificados geneticamente impulsa el avance del desarrollo de vacunas de ADN anticaries, mientras que el principal enfoque tendiente a reducir su incidencia mundialmente se sigue concentrando en el desarrollo de terapias para prevenir su aparicion. This article analyzes available scientific evidence about the use of rats and mice to study dental caries. In the study of dental caries, the use of mice and rats has greatly contributed to understand the etiology and pathogenesis of this condition. Since 1922, when the first in vivo experiments were designed to confirm human observations, the rat has been the most widely used animal model. The objective of the first experimental designs was aimed at establishing the relationship between diet formulations and the degree of carious lesions. However, results failed to demonstrate this correlation and, instead, they have proved a definite association between the presence of endogenous oral microorganisms and dental caries, recognizing Streptococcus mutans as the primary etiologic agent due, in part, to its acidogenic capacity. The mouse and rat models have also played a major role in understanding relationships between systemic conditions and caries. Recently the use of genetically modified strains has favored the development of DNA anti-caries vaccines, but the principal approach for decreasing its worldwide incidence is still focused on prevention.