Oral glucose clearance in subjects with high or low salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli.

The ability to eliminate sugar from the oral cavity was studied in subjects with high or low numbers of salivary Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli. The glucose concentration in saliva was determined after consumption of biscuits using the Gloxtest, and the logarithms of the glucose values were plotted against time. The sugar clearance time was measured where the slope of the plot intersected with a glucose level of 1 mg/ml. Subjects with a high level of S. mutans had a significantly longer clearance time than subjects with a low level. More salivary lactobacilli were found in a subject group with a long sugar clearance time than in a group with a fast clearance rate.