title: Supplementation of domestic sugar (sucrose) with fluoride. Effects on experimental dental caries, plaque pH, and fluoride levels in plaque and enamel.
abstract: The minimum amount of fluoride which, when added to sucrose, will reduce caries in an intra-oral test was determined. Removable lower-arch appliances were worn by three adult subjects for 1 week, during which time plaque-covered enamel on one side was immersed in a 10 percent sucrose solution containing fluoride for 10 minutes four times per day. The effect of sucrose alone (control) was similarly determined on the other side of the appliance. Concentrations of 2 and 5 ppm F in sucrose solutions (20 and 50 ppm F dry weight) produced highly significant reductions in experimental caries of 43 and 44 percent respectively. A reduction in enamel dissolution due to re-precipitation of fluoride-rich apatite is probably largely responsible for the anti-caries effect. However, decreased plaque acid production may also play a role since the addition of 1 ppm F to 5 percent sugar reduced the plaque pH drop in artificial mouth experiments. Our results substantiate previous reports that fluoridation of sucrose to a level of 20 to 50 ppm F dry weight has potential benefits in caries prevention and may be useful when the F intake is otherwise low.
authors.affiliation: Dental Research Unit, Health Research Council of New Zealand, Wellington.
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Cutress
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sissons
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Coote
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D003747:Dental Enamel Solubility / Q000187:drug effects; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000737:chemistry / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D005260:Female; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D013395:Sucrose; D012969:Sodium Fluoride