The purpose of the present work was to investigate the degrees of saturation with respect to hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite in saliva at various pH's. The data of ionic activities in parotid saliva were collected from the literature and the degrees of saturation with respect to hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite were calculated. It was found that parotid saliva was supersaturated with respect to both apatites above pH 5.5, unsaturated with respect to hydroxyapatite and concurrently supersaturated with respect to fluorapatite in the pli range 5.5-4.5, while it was unsaturated with respect to both apatites below pH 4.5. In the laboratory it has been found that when enamel is exposed to a liquid unsaturated with respect to hydroxyapatite and supersaturated with respect to fluorapatite, a caries-like lesion is developed. A liquid unsaturated with respect to both apatites leads to an erosion-like injury. It is concluded that the two chemical conditions leading to the two types of enamel lesions may both occur in the oral cavity.In previous studies, it has been shown that calcium, phosphate and fluoride sufficient enamel can be dissolved in two fundament-to supersaturate the oral fluids with respect ally different ways: when the liquid phase to the enamel mineral at physiologic pH is unsaturated with respect to both hyd-(BENEDICT & KANTHAK 1932, SCHMIDTroxyapatite and fluorapatite, both apatites NIELSEN 1946, ERICSSON 1949 dissolve coincidently, which results in an 1968a). Furthermore, it has been demonerosion-like surface etching. The other strated that saliva becomes less supersatutype of dissolution is caused by a liquid rated and even unsaturated with respect which is unsaturated with respect to hyd-to enamel when pH decreases, owing to roxyapatite and supersaturated with re-the increase-of the enamel solubility spect to fluorapatite, which causes a for- (SCHMIDT-NIELSEN 1946, ERICSSON 1949. mation of fluorapatite and a dissolution of However, how the degrees of saturation hydroxyapatite, the resulting lesion being with respect to hydroxyapatite and fluorvery like a natural caries lesion in vivo apatite in saliva change as a function of (LARSEN 1974a,b). pH has not yet been investigated. It has been shown that saliva contains Therefore, based on data collected from