Attempt to Interpret Caries Using Different Approach:Elemental Analysis Study

Objectives: Caries is only viewed as an infectious disease that causes demineralization resulting from bacterial action on fermentable carbohydrates and was rarely linked to tooth compositional disturbance. The caries profile presents differently in Egypt and Qatar and defective teeth in Qatar tend to breakdown faster than others implicating that hidden factor(s) could be overlooked. Hence, a study of the elemental compositional constituents could provide certain insights. This study was i) to determine if elemental variation could be a contributing cause of dental caries; ii) to detect the geographical implication on tooth structure composition; and iii) to determine the level of Fluoride in bottled water that is heavily consumed in Qatar.
Methods: Forty two carious teeth samples were collected from Egypt and Qatar. Teeth samples were digested in a microwave digestion system. Triple quadrupole-ICP-MS equipped with collision/reaction cell (ICP-CRC-MS/MS) was utilized for the determination of a series of elements in the teeth. Fluoride (F) and chloride (Cl) in teeth were determined by ion chromatography. Eleven samples for each brand of water were also analyzed using ion chromatography.
Results: The concentrations of elements varied between Egyptian and Qatari teeth which could interpret the hypoplastic and hypocalcified defects observed in a large number of Qatari subjects. The Fl content in water samples in Qatar revealed a wide range (0-0.093 ppm), dictating the importance of bottled water selection in Qatar owing to the heavy daily consumption.
Conclusions: The present data suggest that the elemental content of teeth may vary greatly among different populations. Tooth elemental deficiency and excess should be addressed to control and minimize the breakdown of tooth structure.