The effect of EHDP concentration on enamel demineralization in vitro

The depth of caries lesions produced in bovine enamel situated in an unstirred 0.1 mol/L lactic acid buffer at pH 4.5 has been studied as a function of time and of concentration of the inhibitor ethane-1-hydroxy-1, 1-diphosphonate, EHDP. At concentrations of EHDP up to 5 mmol/L, the lesion progress decreased with increasing concentration of inhibitor. At higher concentrations, the opposite effect was observed. At low inhibitor concentration (0.1 mmol/L), the lesion depth to the third power varied linearly with time. At intermediate concentrations (0.25-5 mmol/L), the square of the lesion depth varied linearly with time. At high inhibitor concentrations (25-100 mmol/L), the lesion depth varied linearly with time. It was also shown that the rate of dissolution of calcium hydroxyapatite crystals was retarded by low concentrations of EHDP, but accelerated by high concentrations of EHDP. The results are related to a physico-chemical model describing lesion formation.