The influence of the replacement of dietary sucrose by maltose on the formation and biochemistry of human dental plaque.

Samples of 2-day plaque were collected before and during two 25-day diet periods from 24 subjects taking part in a double-blind cross-over study involving sucrose- and maltose-rich diets. The mean change in plaque pH measured after exposure to the respective sugar during the 3rd week of both diet periods was similar. The dry weight of plaque did not vary significantly as either diet progressed but the lowest mean value obtained was in the 4th week of the maltose diet. The extracellular polysaccharide content of plaque was lower in the maltose group than in the sucrose group (p = 0.052). Plaque-invertase activity was not affected significantly by the diets but maltase activity was significantly higher in the 2nd and 4th weeks of the maltose diet (p = 0.039; p = 0.012). The results suggest that the polysaccharide matrix of plaque formed in the presence of maltose as opposed to sucrose is different, which could be explained by the known effect of maltose in vitro on plaque glucosyl transferases.