Protective effect of the in situ formed short-term salivary pellicle

Salivary pellicle, as previously investigated, protects the enamel surface after certain processes of maturation against the influence of acidic agents. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of the short-term salivary pellicle formed in situ over periods of 3, 60 and 120 min. Six human volunteers used intraoral acrylic splints with bovine enamel samples fixed at the buccal and palatal sites of the maxillary first molars and second premolars. Enamel specimens (n = 252) with and without pellicle were immersed for 60 s in 1.0% citric acid solution under agitation. Knoop surface hardness (KHN) of uneroded polished enamel was measured as a baseline and estimated immediately after erosive treatment reflecting the microhardness loss (DeltaKHN). The amounts of calcium dissolved from the eroded enamel surface were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy and scored in mg/l per 10 mm2 of enamel surface area. In addition, the scanning electron microscope was used for the micromorphological examination of the erosive alterations of the enamel surface. The average microhardness loss values after erosion of the enamel samples with buccally/palatally formed pellicle layers were measured as 139.1/144.9 DeltaKHN for 3 min pellicle, 145.9/146.9 DeltaKHN for 60 min pellicle and 141.7/138.6 DeltaKHN for 120 min pellicle. Calcium release values from the specimens with buccal/palatal pellicles were amounted to 15.0/14.9, 16.5/15.9 and 15.3/17.4 mg/l per 10 mm2 for 3, 60 and 120 min-old pellicles, respectively. No significant differences were related to the pellicle formation time and intraoral site (buccal or palatal) in all tested series (ANOVA, P < 0.05). However, significant protection of the enamel surface provided by the pellicle layer was observed on all pellicle-covered surfaces if compared to the non-covered enamel samples (calcium release: 25.6 mg/l per 10 mm2; microhardness loss 187.0 DeltaKHN). These data were in accordance with the morphologic alterations caused by citric acid on the pellicle-covered and pellicle non-covered specimens. It could be concluded that salivary pellicle formed in situ within a period of 3 min offers protection of enamel against citric acid. However, pellicle does not completely inhibit the erosive action of citric acid under the conditions of the present study.