THE EFFECT OF FOUR KINDS OF ACID AND CONCENTRATION ON THE FORMATION OF ARTIFICIAL CARIOUS LESION IN HUMAN TOOTH ENAMEL

수종의 유기산이 법랑질 인공우식의 형성에 미치는 영향

The end products of the metabolism of the oral microorganism, organic acids, are an element that produces dental caries. Four organic acids in plaque fluid, lactic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, propionic acid which take the important role in producing dental caries, were chosen to evaluate the effect of acid type and concentration. The subject, $100{\mu}m$ in thickness, were immersed in acid-buffer solution which has the different acid concentration of 10mM, 25mM, 50mM, 100mM and pH 4.3 and degree of saturation was $0.153{\pm}0.003$ kept in constant and were operated to produce artificial caries under different demineralization time (1, 2, 3 day) at x25. The results were obtained by observing under polarizing microscope at x25. 1. The subsurface lesion, specific finding of incipient enamel caries, showed positive birefringence. but surface zone and sound enamel showed negative birefringence. 2. The demineralization rate of enamel was increased as the acid concentration increased. 3. The subsurface lesion showed increasing depth in the order of lactic, acetic, propionic acid, succinic acid. 4. The concentration of organic acid in artificial caries system had an independent effect on demineralization rate in enamel under the constant pH and degree of saturation. The result of this study showed that not only pH and the acid strength but the concentration of organic acid had an independent effect on demineralization rate in early enamel caries. And through the further research on the factors influencing enamel demineralization, it will be necessary to develop an effective caries preventive therapy.