Answer
(a)
Work Step by Step
The following are true about dental plaque:
Plaque consists of up to 30 different genera of bacteria and their products, such as polymers of glucose (dextran), saliva proteins, and minerals; It begins as positively charged salivary proteins adhere to negatively charged enamel surfaces, forming a pellicle (film) over the tooth surface; Streptococcus mutans attaches to the pellicle where it hydrolyzes sucrose to fructose and glucose, or polymers of glucose that serve as bridges, holding together cells in plaque; and Plaque that is allowed to accumulate in crevices near the gum line can change into anaerobic pockets full of bacteria that can irritate the gums or destroy underlying bone.
