Effect of white cheese and sugarless yoghurt on dental plaque acidogenicity

White cheese and sugarless yoghurt are frequently consumed traditional Turkish foods. The aim of this study was to assess their acidogenic potential when eaten alone or following a rinse with sucrose solution. Plaque pH was measured by a pH microelectrode at baseline to determine the resting plaque pH and at time intervals of 1-60 min after rinsing with 10% sucrose solution or eating the test food for 1 min. White cheese consumption for 1 min increased the plaque pH. When white cheese was eaten 5 min after rinsing with 10% sucrose solution, the plaque pH rose rapidly. After sugarless yoghurt consumption, the pH fell to a similar minimum as for sucrose after 5 min but returned to baseline levels after 30 instead of 60 min. Consumption of sugarless yoghurt after a sucrose rinse initially reduced the plaque pH further but did not affect the time taken for pH to regain baseline levels.