Abstract
The concentrations of strontium (Sr), aluminum (Al), and Manganese (Mn) in the enamel and dentine of 350 human deciduous teeth were determined in order to examine the relationship between these 3 trace elements and dental caries. Deciduous teeth were collected at dental offices in the city of Kitakyushu and classified into three groups consisting of the sound tooth group (caries-free teeth), the carious tooth group (without restoration), and the filled tooth group. The concentrations of Sr, Al, and Mn were measured using flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
In both the enamel and dentine of the sound tooth group, no difference was observed in the concentrations of the 3 elements between males and females. Tooth type (incisor and canine) affected the Al and Mn concentrations in the sound enamel and dentine. The Sr and Mn concentrations of the sound tooth group were similar to those of the carious tooth and filled tooth groups, in both the enamel and dentine. The Al concentration in the sound tooth group was 1.6-fold and 1.4-fold higher than those in the carious tooth group and the filled tooth group in the enamel, and was 1.6-fold and 2.5-fold higher than those in the carious tooth group and the filled tooth group in the dentin, respectively. Even with the incisor alone, the Al concentrations were significantly higher in the sound tooth group than those in the carious tooth group and the filled teeth group, in both the enamel and dentine.
These findings suggested that Al acts as a cariostatic agent by itself, but Sr and Mn in the enamel and dentine have no relation to caries.
