Solubility Rates of Effect of Acid Structures on Enamel and Dentin in Acid Buffers

¹ Eastman Dental Dispensary, Rochester, New York

The effect on enamel and dentin solubility of the addition of small ammounts of 34 amino acids, nitrogen, and hydroxy compounds to a buffered decalcifying environment has been studied. Although some of these agents significantly reduced enamel-solubility rates, dentin-solubility rates were not affected. Aspartic acid and lysine produced the largest solubility reduction, 31 and 18 per cent, respectively, followed by p-amino hippuric acid, 13 per cent; p-amino phenylacetic, 13 per cent; glutathione, 13 per cent; and glutamic acid, 11 per cent. The structure of these acids was discussed in relation to their solubility-reducing capacities.

The in vitro solubility-reducing effect of lysine was related to the findings of others that the addition of this compound to certain diets reduced their cariogenicity in vivo.