Influences of Sucrose and Buffer Additives on Plaque and 32P of the Enamel

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Abstract
An in vitro system was constructed for testing the tooth protecting properties of various additives of carbohydrates. Homogenized human dental plaque was centrifuged on granules of neutron- irradiated enamel. The saliva covering the plaque was either sugar free or contained sucrose or sucrose with combinations of K2HPO4 + KH2PO4 (molar ratio 5.19/1) or NaHCO3 + NH4H2PO4 (molar ratio 9.17/1). In the presence of sugar, the plaque pH dropped to about 5.0; and the release of 32P from the enamel was doubled. The salt combinations lessened the pH drop and the NaHCO3 + NH4H2PO4 combination, when used in 1% concentration (w/v) in the saliva, reversed the effect of fermentation on the 32p release completely. In the nonsugar control systems, the radioactivity of the plaque material was 18 - 37% of the total released from the enamel. An increased uptake of 32P of enamel origin by the plaque material occurred in the presence of glucose at pH 6.2.