Abstract
Sucrose is the most cariogenic dietary carbohydrate because in addition to being fermented by oral bacteria, it is a substrate for the synthesis of extracellular (EPS) and intracellular polysaccharides (EPS). EPS, especially the insoluble ones, promote changes in the composition of the biofilms matrix enhancing its cariogenicity; these polysaccharides are considered critical virulence fac…