INHIBITION OF ACID PRODUCTION OF SALIVARY SEDIMENT BY ETHERS, ESTERS, PHENOLS, AND ALCOHOLS

¹ Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass.

Studies have been made on 492 alcohols, phenols, ethers, and esters, in order to determine whether any simple organic chemicals have the capacity to reduce acid formation rate of salivary sediment. A study on monosubstituted ethers and esters or a combination of these 2 groupings indicated that these substances in themselves had no ability to effect acid formation. There were no inhibitory ethers. The one inhibitory ester may have owed its activity to the presence of unesterified alcohol or to the ability of oral enzymes to cause its hydrolysis.

There were a few alcohols or phenols which had the capacity to affect salivary sediment when tested in water solution, but the majority of substances required the presence of 10 per cent propylene glycol for their effect to be demonstrated. In a few instances it appeared that propylene glycol had a synergistic action in with the chemical but in most cases the glycol apparently acted chiefly to increase the solubility of the compound enough to allow it to be inhibitory. Most of the phenols tested at maximum concentration were not superior to phenol itself. A high percentage of inhibitory action occurred among compounds with 6 to 13 carbon atoms, 1 to 3 code units, and ring structures.