Few studies have investigated directly the possible role of dietary sugar in the etiology of periodontal disease, although an association between the amount of plaque formed and the frequency of sugar intake has been demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of frequent sugar intakes on experimental gingivitis in young adults. Twenty male dental students took part in a single blind crossover study which involved two 3-week experimental periods with random allocation to high or low sugar diets. The experimental site was the lower anterior area. The labial aspects of the lower anterior teeth were examined at baseline and Weeks 1, 2 and 3. Inflammation was assessed by recording bleeding on probing at 12 sites at 2 levels of severity--"pin prick" and "excess." In addition gingival crevicular fluid flow was recorded and plaque amount was assessed. At 3 weeks significantly higher bleeding scores at the two designated levels were found with the high sugar diet but no significant differences were observed with crevicular fluid flow and plaque amount. It was concluded that frequent sugar intakes result in increased gingival inflammation in experimental gingivitis, as measured by gingival bleeding on probing.

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A within-subject double-blind cross-over study was carried out to examine whether the chemical composition of approximal plaque was altered 1 and 24 h after brushing with fluoride toothpaste. Three fluoride toothpastes were tested, containing either sodium monofluorophosphate with calcium glycerophosphate supplement and calcium carbonate abrasive, a combination of sodium monofluorophosphate and sodium fluoride with the same supplement and abrasive or sodium fluoride with a silica abrasive. A fluoride-free toothpaste with a silica abrasive acted as the control. 19 subjects used the toothpastes separately in randomised order for 1 week each prior to collection of plaque. Contralateral half-mouth approximal plaque samples were collected 1 and 24 h after the last use of each toothpaste. Fluoride, calcium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations of plaque were estimated. The results indicated that brushing with toothpastes containing fluoride and/or calcium supplements resulted in increased concentrations of these constituents in approximal plaque 1 h after brushing. These elevated levels of inorganic ions were not observed in the samples collected 24 h after brushing. It was concluded that the potentially beneficial effect of a raised concentration of fluoride and calcium in approximal plaque observed soon after brushing is lost during the following 24 h.

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