Effect of Milk on Enamel Demineralization and Remineralization in vitro

The amount of enamel powder dissolved by milk did not alter as the pH of the milk fell from 6.2 to 5.0. A reduction in the calcium content of milk occurred when tooth crowns, which had been previously exposed to lactate buffer, were immersed in milk. The exposure of enamel to milk between periods of demineralization in lactate buffer produced less demineralization than controls exposed to buffer alone. Exposure of the surface of artificially demineralized enamel lesions to milk for 50 h resulted in remineralization as indicated by an increase in the negative birefringence and mineral content percent of the outer enamel of the lesions as compared with controls.