THE EFFECT OF FLUORIDE ON ACID FORMATION BY SALIVARY SEDIMENT
B. LILIENTHAL B.SC., B.D.S., D.PHIL.1
1 Institute of Dental Research, United Dental Hospital, Sydney, Australia
The anti-enzymatic action of fluoride on oral bacteria as salivary sediment has been studied. Fluoride ion concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 ppm did not inhibit the rate of acid formation from glucose and sucrose. At values of 32 ppm fluoride, inhibition of acid formation was slight (10 to 30 per cent) in the absence of added Ca++ and PO4. Addition of Ca++ in sufficient concentration completely reversed the inhibition of fluoride, whereas Mg++ enhanced the inhibitory action as did Mn++ and PO4. These observations are in agreement with the known effects of these divalent ions and of orthophosphate on the inhibition of enolase by fluoride. In the presence of 2 x 10–3 M Ca++ and 5 x 10–3 M P04, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 19, and 38 ppm F– had no effect on the rate of acid formation from sucrose.
Submitted on October 18, 1954
