Cariogenic Potential of Sucrose Associated with Maltodextrin on Dental Enamel

Maltodextrin is a hydrolysate of cornstarch and has been widely used in the food industry associated with sucrose. The addition of starch can increase the cariogenic potential of sucrose; however, there are sparse data regarding the cariogenicity of sucrose associated with maltodextrin. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test in situ if maltodextrin could increase the cariogenic potential of sucrose. This was an in situ, randomized, crossover, split-mouth, and double-blind study. Volunteers wore palatal appliances containing bovine enamel blocks for 2 periods of 14 days. They dripped the following solutions on the enamel blocks 8 times per day: deionized distilled water (DDW), maltodextrin (M), sucrose + maltodextrin (S+M), or sucrose (S). At the end of each experimental period, biofilms were collected and analyzed for microbiological (mutans streptococci, lactobacilli, and total microorganisms counts) and biochemical (calcium, inorganic phosphate, fluoride, and insoluble extracellular polysaccharides concentrations) compositions. The enamel demineralization was assessed by microhardness. Treatments S and S+M resulted in a lower inorganic composition and higher concentration of insoluble extracellular polysaccharides in the biofilms, and higher enamel mineral loss compared to DDW and M. It can be concluded that the cariogenic potential of sucrose is not changed when this carbohydrate is associated with maltodextrin (dextrose equivalent 13-17).