[Ionized calcium in the saliva of children with multiple caries]

Ionized calcium and total content of all Ca fractions were measured in mixed saliva and blood serum of children aged 4 to 12 with solitary carious lesions or multiple caries. The level of ionized Ca was much higher in multiple caries than in individual lesions, and the content of bound Ca (protein-bound and in complex with other compounds) was decreased. The authors propose that recharging of salivary proteins caused by acidification of the saliva and dental deposit due to production of lactate and other organic acids is mainly responsible for redistribution of Ca fractions in mixed saliva. Ca release which results from demineralization of teeth, changed rate of salivary secretion and permeability of the blood-saliva barrier, and other factors may also contribute to redistribution of Ca fractions in the saliva, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of caries.