The role of mechanical control of biofilm in the salivary pH after sucrose exposure in children with early childhood caries

This quasi-experimental study sought to investigate if the mechanical control of biofilm (3-times-a-day) modifies the saliva’s ability to buffer the oral environment after 20% sucrose rinse (SR(20%)) in children with early childhood caries (ECC). Here, SR(20%) reduced the saliva’s pH in both groups and the mechanical control of biofilm had a greater effect on this parameter after SR(20%) in CF children. The mechanical control of biofilm evidenced a higher buffering capacity in CF children before SR(20%), which was not observed after SR(20%). Otherwise, the absence of mechanical control of biofilm showed that buffering capacity was comparable in the two groups before SR(20%), whereas after SR(20%) the saliva’s buffering capacity of CF children was higher than ECC children. When biofilm was mechanically controlled, carbonic anhydrase VI activity did not change after SR(20%) whereas the absence of mechanical control of biofilm reduced this enzyme activity after SR(20%). In conclusion, the mechanical control of biofilm did not change saliva’s ability to buffer the oral environment after SR(20%) in children with ECC. On the other hand, CF children appeared to regulate more effectively the saliva’s pH than ECC children while the absence of mechanical control of biofilm mediated their pH-modifying ability after SR(20%).