Effect of Fluoride on Acid Solubility of Enamel during the Demineralization Process
1990 Volume 53 Issue 6 Pages 491-522
Details
1990 Volume 53 Issue 6 Pages 491-522
Intraoral fluoride releasing devices (IFRD) can maintain a low fluoride concentration in saliva, permitting effective action of the fluoride on the enamel. Fluoride released from the IFRD has two mechanisms of action. The first is exposure of the enamel to fluoride prior to demineralization and the second is the continuous exposure during the demineralization process. This study investigated the effect of fluoride exposure on acid solubility of enamel especially during the demineralization process.
The fluoride concentrations tested were 0.3ppm, 1.0ppm, 10.0ppm, and 100.0ppm. These are concentrations which can manitained by IFRD. Enamel slabs prepared from bovine permanent incisors were immersed in various fluoride solutions for 30, 60 and 90 days and then dissolved in acetate buffers having various fluoride concentrations. The dissolved calcium was measured and the demineralized enamel slabs were analyzed with X-ray microanalysis and X-ray diffractometry. The distribution of fluoride in the demineralized enamel was measured by the abrarive method.
The results were a follows :
1. The acid solubility of the enamel decreased with an increase in the fluoride concentration in demineralizing solution.
2. Fluoride uptake in the enamel during demineralization increased with an increase in the fluoride concentration in the demineralizing solution.
3. Calcium fluoride was deposited on the suface of the enamel demineralized by acetate buffer with 100.0ppm fluoride.
4. The combination of fluoride in the immersing and demineralizing solutions was very effective in reducing the acid solubility of the enamel.
