THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ENAMEL AND DENTIN IN HIGH AND LOW CARIES AREAS IN SOUTH AFRICA

¹ Department of Public Health, Pretoria, S.A.

Forty samples of carious and non-carious enamel and dentin from people in high-and low-caries areas in South Africa were analysed for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and fluorine. No significant difference was found in the percentage of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

The fluorine content, however, was considerably higher in both the enamel and dentin of people in the low-caries area (445 p.p.m. and 755 p.p.m. respectively) than of people in the high-caries area (153 p.p.m. and 258 p.p.m. respectively). This higher fluorine content of the enamel and dentin corresponds with the higher fluorine content in the drinking water. The calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content of drinking water and soils appears to have no effect on the calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content of enamel and dentin.