The aim of this study was to establish the saliva pH curve in response to sweet foods, with different carbohydrate rates and different consistencies, frequently found in the school meal program in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, the study investigated the relationship between the carbohydrate content of the foods and the pH response. The subjects of the study were school-aged children seen in the dental clinic of Faculty of Dentistry of the Universidade Federal Fluminense. For the tests, 52 children, eutrophic, healthy, with low and high risk of decay, who were not using any medication that could alter the flow and the composition of the saliva, were selected. In this group, 54% of the children were between 7 and 10 years old. The pH of the saliva was measured, with indicative ribbons, before and after the consumption of these preparations, in an interval of 10, 20, 40 and 60 minutes. The statistical analysis included Qui-Squared and Student-t tests carried out with the Epi Info software. None of the curves of pH of the saliva, for all the tested preparations and risk groups, reached the critical pH values(5.3 -5.5). The curves of medium pH of the saliva for all the tested preparations oscillated in pH values more elevated for the group of low decay risk, and in lower values for the group of high decay risk. The low risk group curves of medium pH of the saliva demonstrated slower fall and later recovery, while in the high risk group the fall and the recovery of the pH were more immediate. In conclusion, the consistency of the preparations was preponderant in the carbohydrate content. The planning of the school meals should take into consideration the effect of the consistency of the sweet preparations served.
school feeding; cariogenic agents; saliva; hydrogen-ion concentration
