A Method for Study of Acid Production by Salivary Sediments

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Abstract
Equipment was assembled and tested for study of the rate of acid production by sediment obtained from whole saliva using an in vitro system which permits control of some of the important variables. The equipment consists of 3 pairs of glass electrodes, with a common calomel electrode, which are connected through an automatic switch to an industrial pH meter and a 6-place automatic recorder. Paraffin stimulated saliva is centrifuged for 20 minutes at 2400 rpm., and 0.1 ml of the precipitate obtained therefrom is held in con-tact with a glass electrode by means of a thimble of nylon mesh. The sediment derived from the saliva of some persons forms acid rapidly and reaches an equilibrium pH about 2 units below that of the solution in contact with the sediment. This solution contains 0.2 molar glucose and 0.01 molar CO2-NaHCC3 buffer. Influence of inhibitors can be observed from their effect on the pH differential at equilibrium. Agitation and buffer capacity of the solution were shown to be factors capable of affecting the equilibrium pH.
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