Effects Of Different Beverages On The Plaque PH

Dental caries is an infectious disease involving all age groups. Adolescence is a period in which the risk for dental caries remains especially high. Many factors, some unique to the teenagers, contribute to the initiation and progression of dental caries in this age group. One factor with the potential for being significant is the adolescent diet, especially the high consumption of sugar. One product that tends to contribute to the amount of sugar ingested is beverages. It is suggested that the combination of the consumption of highly sweetened soft drinks may significantly increase a susceptible potential for developing dental caries.OBJECTIVE: To compare the impacts on plaque pH of caries-sensitive and caries-free children with different beverages and evaluate the applicability of pH measurements in situ in human dental plaque using a Beetrode microelectrode.METHODS: The study population consisted of 20 children (aged 3-5 years).Ten of them are caries-free(dmft=0); the other ten are carious-sensitive (dmft>4).The dental plaque pH were determined in situ with a pHmicroelectrode within lh after drinking three different beverages respectively. Then the resting pH value(pHrest), minimum pH value(pHmin), the range of the pH(ApH) were analyzed by ANOVA.RESULTS: There was a great significant difference in pHrest. All the pH response in the plaque following drinking three different beverages showed a classic Stephan- type response. An hour later, pH value of the caries-free group almost recovered to the initial level, while most of the caries-susceptible children cannot recover the initial level. Caries status of the individual was unrelated to plaque pH in non- carious sites. The differences of the pHmin, ApH in sound sites were no statistic significance (P>0.05).However the changes in the carious-sensitive group were more pronounced than the non-caries group. There were significant differences on the pHmin, ApH among different beverages (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The cariogenicity of plaque in carious-sensitive children was stronger than that of the non-caries group. Different beverages have different potential cariogenicity.