Adaptation of dental plaque to sorbitol after 3 months' exposure to chewing gum.

Five subjects used sorbitol-containing chewing gum for a period of 12 wk. Plaque was collected before and after the sorbitol exposure and also 12 wk after the termination of the exposure. The individual plaque samples were incubated with 14C-labeled sorbitol, and the medium was examined by HPLC. It was found that plaque samples from all subjects catabolized more sorbitol after the exposure. The flora adapted to sorbitol was persistent, and all the subjects had a higher capacity for metabolizing sorbitol even 12 wk after the end of the sorbitol exposure than before it. Formate, acetate, ethanol, and lactate were the major catabolites of sorbitol. Small amounts of succinate and propionate were found in some samples.