Retention of glucose in oral fluid at different sites in the mouth

Using glucose as a marker, a detailed study of retention at 5 different sites in the mouth of 1 subject and a less detailed examination of 4 selected sites in the mouths of 10 other subjects revealed site-specific differential patterns of oral retention (or clearance). These patterns seemed independent of sometimes large, absolute day-to-day variations in oral retention which occur in all subjects but appeared to vary somewhat between subjects, probably reflecting slight differences in the anatomy and physiology of the individual mouth. In general, the patterns resembled those recently derived from studies of other oral phenomena such as rates of diffusion out of plaque, fluoride uptake by mineral and hydrogen ion concentrations in plaque. They will dictate the concentrations and thereby influence the activity of all extraneous substances in different regions of the oral cavity and may relate to the site-specific patterns of oral disease.