Hicks John, Garcia-Godoy Franklin, Flaitz Catherine
Department of Pathology, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030-2313, USA.
J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2004 Winter;28(2):119-24. doi: 10.17796/jcpd.28.2.617404w302446411.
Dental caries is a complex disease process that afflicts a large proportion of the world's population, regardless of gender, age and ethnicity, although it does tend to affect more indivduals with a low socioeconomic status to a greater extent. The physicochemical properties of the mineral comprising the tooth surface and subsurface modulate the development, arrestment and remineralization of dental caries. Post-eruption maturation of enamel surfaces and exposed root surfaces is important in order for more susceptible mineral phases to be modified by incorporation of soluble fluoride from the plaque into dental hydroxyapatite. The chemical reactions that occur during acidic conditions when tooth mineral dissolves (critical pH) are determined by the supersaturation of calcium and phosphate within plaque and saliva, as well as if fluoride is present.
龋齿是一种复杂的疾病过程，困扰着世界上很大一部分人口，无论性别、年龄和种族如何，尽管它确实往往在更大程度上影响社会经济地位较低的人群。构成牙齿表面和次表面的矿物质的物理化学性质调节着龋齿的发展、停滞和再矿化。牙釉质表面和暴露的牙根表面在萌出后的成熟对于使更易受影响的矿物相通过将菌斑中的可溶性氟结合到牙齿羟基磷灰石中而得到改变非常重要。当牙齿矿物质溶解时（临界pH值）在酸性条件下发生的化学反应取决于菌斑和唾液中钙和磷酸盐的过饱和度，以及是否存在氟化物。
