Abstract
It was previously shown that phosphoryl-oligosaccharide calcium (POs-Ca) can be prepared from potato starch hydrolysates and substantially promote the solubility of calcium. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a sugar-free chewing gum containing POs-Ca on remineralization of enamel and dentin in situ. Twelve healthy volunteers (6 males and 6 females ; mean age=22 y old) participated in a double-blind cross-over design intraoral study. Each participant wore a removable palatal appliance containing both of demineralized enamel and dentin disks and chewed a xylitol gum or xylitol plus 2.6% POs-Ca gum 4 times a day (period : 2 w per gum). The mineral distributions of the specimens were quantified by microradiography. The lesion depth (ld) of enamel (Mean±SD=70±11 μm) and dentin (71±13 μm) in the POs-Ca group were significantly reduced by 25-31% compared with the xylitol gum (101±21 μm in enamel and 95±13 μm in dentin ; p<0.001). The proposed mechanism of mineral accumulation by POs-Ca is that they contribute to increase salivary Ca/P ratio and maintain a state of supersaturation of calcium with respect to tooth substances enhancing remineralization. In conclusion, it was suggested that daily use of a sugar-free chewing gum containing 2.6% POs-Ca enhances remineralization both in enamel and dentin lesions considerably.
