The influence of specific foods and oral hygiene on the microflora of fissures and smooth surfaces of molar teeth: A 5-day study

A group of 20 students, harbouring >10(4) mutans streptococci per millilitr e of saliva, was enrolled into the study. Models for sampling, reproducibly , the dental plaque present in specific sites (fissure and smooth surface) on the dentition were developed and validated. Withdrawal of normal oral hy giene procedures for only 1 day resulted in approximately 10-fold increases in the number of micro-organisms recovered from both sites. The effect of supplementing the subjects' diets with particular food items given 5 times per day [lemonade (5.8% w/v sugars, 250 mi), biscuits (digestive biscuits, 67.6% w/w carbohydrate of which 22% w/w was sugars and 45.6% w/w was starch ), caramel toffees and sugar lumps] on the number of micro-organisms recove red and on the composition of the flora at both sites was determined. Denta l plaque samples were taken after 5 days and it was found that supplementat ion of the diet with toffee and sugar lumps resulted in significantly more micro-organisms at both sampling sites. The supplementation of the diets wi th lemonade or biscuits did not significantly alter the numbers of micro-or ganisms recovered from either site. The percentage composition of the plaqu e samples from both dental sites remained relatively unaffected by oral hyg iene although there were lower levels of mutans streptococci which might be related to the use of an antimicrobial toothpaste containing fluoride, tri closan and zinc citrate, This study suggests that the cariogenicity of cert ain sucrose-containing foods may, in part, be due to the enhancement of pla que accumulation in addition to other effects on the percentage composition of the plaque which may become manifest on prolonged usage of these dietar y foodstuffs. These observations are consistent with dietary survey finding s which often find consumption of confectionery related to caries experienc e or incidence.