DISTRIBUTION OF SUCROSE AROUND THE MOUTH AND ITS CLEARANCE AFTER A SUCROSE MOUTHRINSE OR CONSUMPTION OF 3 DIFFERENT FOODS

The distribution of sucrose in whole saliva and in saliva from seven d ifferent regions of the mouth was determined in 10 subjects over the 1 0-min period following the chewing of a doughnut, sucking on a mint ca ndy, the drinking of orange juice, or use of a 10% sucrose mouthrinse. With all products, the sucrose was distributed non-uniformly, with pa rticularly low concentrations on the lingual surfaces of the lower inc isors and the facial surfaces of the upper molars. Clearance was also most rapid from these sites. Since the depth and duration of a Stephan curve in dental plaque is influenced by the sugar concentration to wh ich the plaque is exposed, the results, together with previous results on salivary film velocity in different regions of the mouth, help to provide an explanation for the site-specificity of smooth-surface cari es and of supragingival calculus deposition.