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Acute dental caries, mental stress, immunity and the active passage of ions through the teeth
MdicalHyp~es(19!90)31,17 @ I..m.gnatt GroupUK Ltd 1990
Acute Dental Caries, Mental Stress, Immunity and the Active Passage of Ions Through the Teeth P. R. N. SUTTON 163A New St., Brighton, Melbourne,
Australia, 3186
Introduction
In 1962 a highly significant association was found between the occurrence of acute dental caries and mental stress (1). Three years later that association was confirmed and it was found that the delay between the time of onset of mental stress and the development of acute dental caries in one or more teeth was considerably less than one month (2). Mechanisms which could contribute to this association were discussed in 1966 (3), but it was not until recent advances in the knowledge of immunity that it was realized that there was a possible connection with the work of Pincus (4, 5, 6, 7) and Bergman (8). In 1958 Pincus (4) demonstrated that the ‘passage of phosphorus-32 is seen to occur through human teeth when introduced in inorganic form.’ Five years later Bergman (8) found that there is a flow of fluid from the dentine to the surface of the enamel. In 1966 Pincus showed that the pulps of human teeth are surrounded by a ‘pulp membrane’ which lies at the base of the odontoblasts (5) and in 1965 and 1968 he demonstrated (6, 7) that ions **Na, 36Cl, 32p, tritiated water, 45Ca, and 42K, pass by active passage, from the pulp through the dentine and enamel to the surface of the tooth. Conclusions
If the active movement of ions through the tooth 17
from the pulp is accompanied by the passage of lymphokynes, the disturbance of their passage by the influence of stress on the pulpal tissues would rapidly reduce the reparative processes in enamel and the efficacy of the immune system at the tooth surface. This would decrease its defence against bacterial attack, permitting the developof acute dental caries (even in ment ‘self-cleansing’ areas where caries occur only rarely) soon after the onset of the stress, as has been observed. References 1. Sutton, P R N. Mental stress and acute dental caries. Nature 195: 254, 1962. 2. Sutton, P R N. The early onset of acute dental caries in adults following mental stress. N.Y. State Dental Journal 31: 450, 1965. 3. Sutton. P R N. Stress and dental caries. pp. 101-148 in Advances in Oral Biology 2. (PH Staple, ed) Academic Press, New York, 1966. 4. Pincus, P. Passage of phosphate through the human tooth. Nature 181: 844, 19.58. 5. Pincus, P. Membrane in the human tooth. Nature 209: 317, 1966. 6. Pincus, P. Physiology of human teeth. Transfer of ions through human teeth. Second Proceedings of the International Academy of Oral Biology. New York, 1965. 7. Pincus, P. The Metabolism of the Human Tooth. Manuscript. University of Melbourne Medical Library, 1968. 8. Bergman, G. Microscopic demonstration of liquid flow through human dental enamel. Archives of Oral Biology 8: 233.
Acute Dental Caries, Mental Stress, Immunity and the Active Passage of Ions Through the Teeth P. R. N. SUTTON 163A New St., Brighton, Melbourne,
Australia, 3186
Introduction
In 1962 a highly significant association was found between the occurrence of acute dental caries and mental stress (1). Three years later that association was confirmed and it was found that the delay between the time of onset of mental stress and the development of acute dental caries in one or more teeth was considerably less than one month (2). Mechanisms which could contribute to this association were discussed in 1966 (3), but it was not until recent advances in the knowledge of immunity that it was realized that there was a possible connection with the work of Pincus (4, 5, 6, 7) and Bergman (8). In 1958 Pincus (4) demonstrated that the ‘passage of phosphorus-32 is seen to occur through human teeth when introduced in inorganic form.’ Five years later Bergman (8) found that there is a flow of fluid from the dentine to the surface of the enamel. In 1966 Pincus showed that the pulps of human teeth are surrounded by a ‘pulp membrane’ which lies at the base of the odontoblasts (5) and in 1965 and 1968 he demonstrated (6, 7) that ions **Na, 36Cl, 32p, tritiated water, 45Ca, and 42K, pass by active passage, from the pulp through the dentine and enamel to the surface of the tooth. Conclusions
If the active movement of ions through the tooth 17
from the pulp is accompanied by the passage of lymphokynes, the disturbance of their passage by the influence of stress on the pulpal tissues would rapidly reduce the reparative processes in enamel and the efficacy of the immune system at the tooth surface. This would decrease its defence against bacterial attack, permitting the developof acute dental caries (even in ment ‘self-cleansing’ areas where caries occur only rarely) soon after the onset of the stress, as has been observed. References 1. Sutton, P R N. Mental stress and acute dental caries. Nature 195: 254, 1962. 2. Sutton, P R N. The early onset of acute dental caries in adults following mental stress. N.Y. State Dental Journal 31: 450, 1965. 3. Sutton. P R N. Stress and dental caries. pp. 101-148 in Advances in Oral Biology 2. (PH Staple, ed) Academic Press, New York, 1966. 4. Pincus, P. Passage of phosphate through the human tooth. Nature 181: 844, 19.58. 5. Pincus, P. Membrane in the human tooth. Nature 209: 317, 1966. 6. Pincus, P. Physiology of human teeth. Transfer of ions through human teeth. Second Proceedings of the International Academy of Oral Biology. New York, 1965. 7. Pincus, P. The Metabolism of the Human Tooth. Manuscript. University of Melbourne Medical Library, 1968. 8. Bergman, G. Microscopic demonstration of liquid flow through human dental enamel. Archives of Oral Biology 8: 233.