Research on the Acquisition of Indigenous Oral Flora, and Salivary Pellicle

Human Oral Microbial Ecology and Dental Caries and Periodontal Diseases [pdf] W.F. Liljemark, C. Bloomquist. Department of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, MN.

“One function of saliva is the coating of teeth. The salivary pellicle is an acellular insoluble membranous layer, ca. 0.1 to 1.0 microns thick, derived primarily from the adsorption of mucinous glycoproteins from the saliva. It is tenaciously attached to the enamel surfaces. The salivary pellicular structure, composition, and function have been widely studied the pellicle forms within seconds to minutes whenever an enamel surface is exposed to saliva.”