THE INFLUENCE OF THE BLOOD CALCIUM LEVEL UPON THE ACTION OF FLUORINE IN PREDENTIN AND DENTIN FORMATION

¹ Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Cape Town, Union of South Africa

1. The experimental dentin line is a hypercalcified layer which forms the central part of the calcification response of the dentin to the action of fluorine. It is laid down in the predentin which has formed at the time of the injection of F.

2. The results of the experiments reported in this paper show that if the blood Ca is low at the time of the injection of F, the experimental dentin line calcifies prematurely, shortly after the F has been given. If the blood Ca is normal, the predentin forming at the time is affected by the F but does not become hypercalcified till spontaneous calcification occurs.