PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN WHOLE AND PAROTID SALIVA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO DENTAL CARIES

¹ Departments of Pharmacology, Keio University School of Medicine and Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo, Japan

Acid and alkali phosphatase activities were measured in whole saliva and parotid saliva on arising, in students with and without caries. There was a significant difference in acid phosphatase activity of whole saliva collected from both groups. The students without caries showed a higher activity than those with caries. The alkaline phosphatase activity of the whole saliva was not significantly different between both groups. When parotid saliva was analyzed, there was no correlation between the phosphatase activities and the presence of caries in these students.