Abstract

(From the Department of Operative Dentistry of the Royal College of Dentistry, Stockholm. Head: Professor G. WESTIN.) Investigations into thc relafionship between saliva and dental c8ries.l BY Y. ERICSSON, I. HELLSTROM, B. JARED and L. STJERNSTROY. Salivary influence on the caries process is most clearly dem- onstrated by the increased caries frequency in cases of either absent or substantially reduced saliva secretion, whether due to pathological conditions in man (PRINZ 1932, BORGMAN 1948) or to experimental removal of the glands in animals (summary: STELLING & GUSTAFSSON 1952). Which salivary factors play the main part in these cases and under normal conditions? Our theo- ries on this question naturally depend on our general concept of the caries mechanism. An overwhelming array of evidence has now accumulated in favour of Miller’s chemico-parasitical theory, even if it does not fully explain the initial phase of caries. Ac- cording to this theory, as well as our present knowledge of salivary physiology and chemistry, the following factors may be held to be of the foremost importance in the formation of acid and dis- solution of enamel. Hydrolysis by amylase is the first stage in the ntraoral decomposition of starch into simpler sugars and acids.