Author(s)

Koji Watanabe^1,2*, Toshiko Tanaka³, Ayaka Enomoto², Katsura Saeki⁴, Shigenori Kawagishi⁴, Hideaki Nakashima³, Kenshi Maki⁴, Shigeru Watanabe¹

¹Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Human Development and Fostering, Meikai University School of Dentistry, Sakado, Japan.
²Division of Developmental Stomatognathic Function Science, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
³Division of Surgery, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
⁴Division of Multidisciplinary Studies, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.

Although aluminum itself was reported to prevent dental caries, previous in vitro studies reported that the aluminum level in the whole saliva of children was independent of caries prevalence. Purposes of this study were to compare the elution levels of aluminum and calcium from deciduous enamel into acidic artificial saliva, and determine whether the degree of aluminum elution reflects individual caries risk. One hundred and eleven extracted human deciduous teeth were collected. Concentrations of aluminum and calcium eluted from sound regions of enamel into artificial saliva (pH 6.2 or 5.5) were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. One hundred and four and 108 available data samples were obtained for aluminum and calcium evaluation, respectively, and were compared based on the sex, tooth type, caries history, and the number of the donor’s carious teeth at each pH. Calcium elution was not affected by the sex; however, more aluminum was eluted from boys’ than from girls’ teeth at pH 5.5. The aluminum release depended on the tooth type, and was significantly higher in incisors than in molars at a pH of 5.5. In relation to the caries history, aluminum (at pH 5.5) and calcium (at pH 6.2) dissolved more from sound regions of the enamel of caries-experienced teeth than from the enamel of teeth without caries experience. Moreover, aluminum markedly dissolved from enamel in artificial saliva at both pH 6.2 and 5.5 when the donor had more carious teeth, regardless of the presence or absence of caries experience in the sampled teeth. There is a possibility that the rate of aluminum elution from enamel into acidic fluid reflects individual caries sensitivity.

Aluminum, Elution, Deciduous Enamel, Dental Caries, Artificial Saliva

Watanabe, K. , Tanaka, T. , Enomoto, A. , Saeki, K. , Kawagishi, S. , Nakashima, H. , Maki, K. and Watanabe, S. (2016) Acid Elution of Aluminum and Calcium from Human Deciduous Enamel in Relation to Dental Caries. Open Journal of Stomatology, 6, 54-63. doi: 10.4236/ojst.2016.62007.