Highly Acid SnF₂and TiF₄Solutions

Abstract

In a previous in vitro study, a considerable fluoride uptake was found in scaled root surfaces following treatment with a TiF4 solution (1.1 M F, pH 1.0). In spite of the low pH of the solution, no demineralization could be detected in the root tissue. This led to speculation that certain cations, known to act as complexers, might inhibit such demineralization. In the present experiment a SnF2 solution (1.6 MF, pH 1,0) resulted in an even greater deposition of F in scaled root surfaces than the TiF4 solution, but unlike the TiF4 solution caused a marked subsurface demineralization. A hypothesis to explain this difference in interaction with the root tissue is offered.