THE EFFECT OF DEXTRANASE ON THE RELEASE OF REDUCING SUGARS FROM DFNTAL PLAQUE

Abstract

The effect of dextranase in vitro on the release of reducing sugars from the dental plaque of schoolchildren and adults was evaluated and the effect of mouth-rinsing with dextranase was confirmed. Dextranase was effective for the release of reducing sugars from the dental plaque of both schoolchildren and adults. When 10000 units of dextranase was added to dental plaque suspension in vitro, reducing sugars corresponding to 59.0 and 20.3μg of glucose were released during incubation for 10 minutes. The ratio of these reducing sugars to the dry weight of dental plaque samples were 0.3 and 0.15%, respectively.
Mouth-rinsing with 10000 units of dextranase showed a more statistically significant effect on the release of reducing sugars from the oral cavity than inactivated dextranase (p<0.01). In the experiments, 37 subjects out of 48 (who had not brushed their teeth for a day before examination) showed evident effects of dextranase. The mean values of released reducing sugars of the dextranase (I) and heat inactivated dextranase (II) groups were 112.7 and 99.9μg, respectively.