Journal of Dental Research, Vol 64, 24-27, Copyright © 1985 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Effect of some salts of calcium, sodium, potassium, and strontium on intra-oral enamel demineralization
F. Brudevold, A. Tehrani, F. Attarzadeh, D. Goulet and J. van Houte
A newly-developed intra-oral enamel demineralization test was used to
evaluate the effect of supplementation of a 10% sucrose solution with
various components on enamel demineralization induced by the sucrose. Five
human subjects wore a palatal prosthesis holding eight blocks of subsurface
bovine enamel covered with a layer of S. mutans cells. The test involved
rinsing with sucrose solution or with sucrose solution supplemented with
0.162 mol/l of different calcium salts or equivalent concentrations of Na-,
K-, and Sr salts; rinsing was for one min at times zero and 45 min of the
90-minute test period. Ca-propionate, Ca-acetate, and Ca-levulinate
completely inhibited sucrose-induced enamel demineralization; Ca-chloride,
Ca-lactate, and Ca-ascorbate gave from 65-75%, and K-acetate, Na-lactate,
and Sr-lactate 39, 25, and 18% inhibition, respectively. Consideration of
the anion dissociation constants and the Ca-anion association constants of
the salts suggests that the observed inhibition is caused mainly by common
ion effects and, to a lesser extent, by buffer effects.
