Which glycoprotein accumulates on the tooth surface?

• A. Pellicle
• B. Saliva
• C. Enamel
• D. Dentin

Answer: (A)

A thin, glycoprotein-rich film called the acquired dental pellicle forms on exposed tooth surfaces. It results from salivary glycoproteins rapidly adsorbing to the mineral surface of enamel (and to dentin or cementum if exposed), creating a coating within minutes after the tooth is cleaned or erupted. This pellicle is composed of saliva-derived proteins such as mucins, statherin, and acidic proline-rich proteins, and it acts as a conditioning layer that protects the tooth, helps lubricate the surface, and serves as the initial substrate for bacterial adhesion. The tooth surface itself is mineralized tissue, not a glycoprotein, and saliva is a fluid not a surface film, so the glycoprotein that accumulates specifically as a coating is the pellicle.