Role of Sucrose in Colonization of Streptococcus mutans in Conventional Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

Dietary sucrose, ranging in concentration from 1 to 56%, facilitated greater colonization of Streptococcus mutans on teeth than other carbohydrates. Satisfactory colonization in the absence of sucrose was also achieved, but required higher cell inoculums and appeared to be independent of coprophagy. The intake of a nonsucrose diet did not lead to the elimination of S mutans from the teeth. Other data suggest that S mutans cells have a certain affinity for the teeth in the absence of sucrose that may be of ecological significance, and that bacterial affinity is of importance even for colonization in fissures.