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What is the critical pH and why does a tooth dissolve in acid?
1Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Colin_Dawes@umanitoba.ca
Journal (Canadian Dental Association)
|December 5, 2003
Abstract:
This paper discusses the concept of critical pH for dissolution of enamel in oral fluids. The critical pH does not have a fixed value but rather is inversely proportional to the calcium and phosphate concentrations in the solution. The paper also discusses why teeth dissolve in acid, why remineralization of white-spot caries lesions is possible and why remineralization of teeth eroded by acid is not possible.