AN ANALYSIS OF THE BUFFER SYSTEMS IN SALIVA

¹ Institute of Dental Research, United Dental Hospital, Sydney, Australia

1. Activated saliva owes its buffer capacity largely to the presence of bicarbonate. Phosphate is probably the only other buffer of significance. Although the microorganisms act as buffers, they represent an insignificant part of the buffer mechanism. Mucoid plays no detectable role as a buffer.

2. In resting saliva, bicarbonate and phosphate also represent the buffer system; mucoid was shown to have no influence on the buffer capacity.

3. The buffering mechanisms of salivary sediment and plaque were investigated; the former has adsorbed a variable amount of bicarbonate but the plaque relies only on the organisms for its buffering action.

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