Plaque Acidogenicity Resulting from Dry Sugary Cereal and Beverages in Children

Dental caries is a chronic transmissible disease of microbial orgin. Bacteria is responsible for dental caries. Bacteria convert sucrose into by-products, one of which is acid. Glucose and fructose can also be converted to acid3. The most common acid produced during this process is lactic acid which is reponsible for pH drops in the plaque. If the pH falls below the critical pH of 5.5, demineralization of tooth enamel occurs, leading to carious lesions4. Cariogenicity in studies have been related to plaque acidogenicity. Acidogenicity has been studied by measuring dental plaque pH. The role of food sequencing has been considered by the America Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. They recommend eating sugary snacks or juice with a meal which could avoid a separate event where plaque pH falls below the critical pH. They also recommend drinking water after a snack to attempt to buffer dental plaque acidity. There has been an increase in consumption of dry ready-to-eat cereal as breakfast or a snack by children. Naval et al 1 have shown that in adults, the consumption of dry ready-to-eat cereal caused a decrease in dental plaque pH to below the critical pH of 5.5 in adults. However, they reported that drinking milk after the cereal reduced the fall in dental plaque pH and brought it back to neutral. They showed that the consumption of apple juice after the cereal further reduced dental plaque pH. At present, there are limited studies that investigated the role of beverage consumption after consumption of sugary snacks on plaque acidogenicity in children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of beverage consumed after a dry, ready-to-eat cereal on dental plaque pH in children. The beverages included water, apple juice, and fat free milk. We hope to identify a beverage that can promote a less acidic environment in the oral cavity after a sugary challenge.