pH changes in human dental plaque in vivo from lactose and milk have been studied in four separate mouthrinse experiments. (1) pH was measured in plaque samples of 12 subjects before and after 6 weeks of frequent daily mouth-rinsing with 10% lactose. The pH decreases were significantly more pronounced after the adaptation period than before (p < 0.001), 4 of the 12 subjects showing about the same low plaque pH from lactose as from glucose. (2) Similar to the previous experiment, frequent daily mouthrinsing with low-fat bovine milk in 10 subjects resulted in more pronounced pH decreases in plaque after an adaptation period of 4 weeks (p < 0.001). (3) Single mouthrinses, without any prior adaptation, with bovine standard milk, human breast milk, lactose-hydrolysed bovine standard milk, 5% lactose and 5% sucrose were compared regarding the effect on plaque pH in 7 subjects. All solutions resulted in pH falls. The most pronounced were found with sucrose, followed by the lactose-hydrolysed milk. (4) Bovine standard milk, 5% lactose and 10% sucrose were compared after a single mouthrinse in 5 subjects using interdental plaque pH wire telemetry. Lactose and milk were fermented more slowly than sucrose. In a separate study, acid production from lactose was also measured in two oral strains each of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus sanguis. The results from these experiments indicated that at least part of the lactose transport and catabolism in all studied streptococcus strains seems to be regulated by inducible enzymes.

Keywords:
Adaptation, Dental plaque, Lactose, Milk, Oral streptococci, Plaque pH
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© 1993 S. Karger AG, Basel
1993
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