Taste thresholds, taste preferences, and dental caries in 15-year-olds.

In two groups of 15-year-olds--50 with a high and 50 with a low caries experience--recognition thresholds were determined for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes and preferences for sweet taste, using a full-mouth technique. No statistically significant difference in thresholds could be found between the groups. No correlation between threshold values and preferences for sucrose could be established.