Effect of repeated intake of a sugar free fluoride-containing chewing gum on acidogenicity and microbial composition of dental plaque.
In a double blind cross-over study, 20 subjects were given either a sugar free chewing gum containing 0.25 mg fluoride or the same chewing gum without fluoride, eight times a day for 7 days. The pH of 3-day-old plaque was determined before and after each experimental period following a 30-s mouth-rinse with 10 ml 15% sucrose. The pH-decrease was significantly less pronounced after using the fluoride gum than after the placebo gum (P less than 0.001). In a second study, 20 subjects participated in a similar study. In this experiment the acid production activity from sucrose in dental plaque in vitro was determined with the aid of a titration method. In addition, the dental plaque wet weight and the total number of cultivable organisms, Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli, expressed as the number of colonies per mg plaque, were determined. No significant effect was found on any of these parameters after using the fluoride gum compared to the placebo gum. Thus, the results indicate that slightly elevated levels of fluoride in saliva during daytime, achieved by repeated intake of fluoride gums for 7 days, are sufficient to influence the acidogenicity of dental plaque in vivo.
D002638:Chewing Gum; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D012463:Saliva / Q000032:analysis; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000378:metabolism; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
D002638:Chewing Gum; D013395:Sucrose; D005459:Fluorides