Further Studies on the Cariostatic Effect of Organic and Inorganic Phosphates

¹ National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Bethesda, Md.

Experimental dental caries in white rats was significantly inhibited by three orthophosphates—i.e., Ca(H₂PO₄) · H₂O, Ca₃(PO₄)₂, and (NH₄)₂HPO₄—and by two metaphosphates—i.e., Na(PO₃)_n, and Na(PO₃)₆. The results with the orthophosphates confirmed previous studies. An ammonium P₂O₅ complex and (KPO₃)_n did not significantly reduce caries incidence. They were less effective in reducing caries severity scores than the other inorganic phosphates tested in these experiments. As shown particularly by the caries severity scores and by a reduction in caries incidence, the organic phosphates that were uniformly cariostatic to a significant extent were the following: phytin, sodium phytate, calcium phytate, and -glycerol phosphate. There is at present no explanation as to the mechanism of this experimental cariostatic effect of both inorganic and organic phosphates.

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