Scanning electron microscopy of human dental pellicle and initial plaque formation in vivo.

Small, specially prepared gold alloy discs were recessed into the right and left posterior surfaces of duplicate maxillary dentures. At selected time intervals, a disc was removed from each side of the denture and prepared for examination with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). A thin, peeling film of pellicle was seen on the discs removed after two hours and projections designated "hemispherical globules" formed on the pellicle within the next seven hours.