Sucrose Retardation of Acid Etching in Dental Enamel: An Electron-Microscopic Study

¹ Chemistry Department, Northwestern University Dental School, Chicago, Illinois

In confirmation of earlier chemical studies, sucrose has been shown by electron microscopy to exert a retarding action on the rate at which pH 4.5 lactate buffer etches human dental enamel surfaces. Further work is necessary to ascertain the nature of the action.

These results should not be construed as an argument against the accepted role of sucrose as a fermentation substrate for acid formation on the tooth surface. Instead, they should be regarded as additional evidence for the existence of multiple factors involved in caries development.