Abstract
INORGANIC phosphates are effective in reducing dental caries when added as supplements to cariogenic diets fed to rodents1, and when added to chewing gum2 and to breakfast cereal eaten by children3. Because the caries process may be influenced by pellicle proteins4, and salivary proteins adsorbed to human enamel are differentially eluted by water and orthophosphate solutions5, we reasoned that the cariostatic effect of phosphate might involve one or both of the following processes: (a) differential elution of proteins adsorbed on enamel; (b) modification of the enamel surface resulting in an alteration of the acquired protein layer. To test this hypothesis in a model system we have studied the effects of phosphates on enzymes adsorbed to human enamel.
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PRUITT, K., JAMIESON, A. & CALDWELL, R. Possible Basis for the Cariostatic Effect of Inorganic Phosphates. Nature 225, 1249 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/2251249a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2251249a0
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