Effect of glucose polymers in water, milk and a milk substitute on plaque pH in vitro.

Glucose polymers are widely used as an energy supplement in dietetic practice and are increasingly being used in commercially available products, such as some infant formulae and dried baby foods. Information on the effect of glucose polymers on dental health does not exist, yet is essential in order to advise how these carbohydrates should be incorporated into the diet with least risk to dental health. This study aimed to investigate whether glucose polymers taken as 10% solutions in water, in cow's milk, or in a solution of a milk substitute (Calogen) are acidogenic and, if so, whether these solutions decrease plaque pH to levels associated with enamel demineralization.