title: pH of tooth surface in healthy adolescents at rest and after a glucose rinse: effect of 72 hours of plaque  accumulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to evaluate the effect of a glucose rinse and of plaque accumulation on pH of tooth surface in healthy adolescents with a device used in gastroenterology and never tested in the oral cavity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Values of pH were monitored in 12 adolescents using a portable device (pH-day 2® Menfis, bioMedica S.r.l., Bologna, Italy) with a disposable antimonium electrode kept in contact with the interproximal surface of the upper molars for 40 minutes respectively before and after a one-minute rinse with 10 ml of a 10% glucose solution. The same procedure was repeated in the same subjects after 72 hours of plaque accumulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The device tested resulted difficult to use on the tooth surface because of the size of the active part of the probe. The glucose rinse caused a statistically significant decrease of the mean pH, restrained in basal conditions (d = -0.16, p <0.05), clinically relevant after plaque accumulation (d = -1.24, p <0.05). Time in minutes of pH < 6 grew considerably only in case of combination of plaque accumulation and glucose rinse (d = 20.90, p <0.05). A Stephan's curve of drop and recover of the pH values was not recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The continuous recording of pH of natural plaque present on the tooth could represent an alternative to other techniques found in literature. More studies are necessary to verify the suitability of this new device for the monitoring of pH in the oral cavity.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levrini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tettamanti
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Caria
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caprioglio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000965:Antimony; D002326:Cariogenic Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000378:metabolism*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D050782:Esophageal pH Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008963:Molar / Q000378:metabolism*; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002326:Cariogenic Agents; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D000965:Antimony; D005947:Glucose