Crystal growth oral liquids

From a mechanistic viewpoint it is reasonable to anticipate an inverse clinical relationship between calculus and caries. Calculus formation is essentially a mineralisation process. The development of a caries lesion is the result of the net demineralisation of tooth enamel by plaque acid. These processes both involve crystalline calcium phosphate phases in contact with liquid, saliva and/or plaque fluid, containing their constituent ions. The oral environment also contains other salivary constituents and bacteria, which either inhibit or promote crystal growth or dissolution. 

Physical stability plays a role both for suspensions and solutions. A suspension may settle too fast and the sediment may be poorly resuspendable after standing for some time. Crystal growth too may occur in suspensions (see Sect. 18.4.2.3). In solutions, the active substance may crystallise during storage (Sect. 18.1.6). These physical stability problems resemble those of oral liquid dosage forms, see Sect. 5.4.14. 

Uses Wet granulation binder for oral solid dosage forms solubilizer and bioavailability enhancer of poorly soluble drugs crystal growth inhibitor, and rheological additives in soft-gelatin capsules, oral liquids and suspensions, parenterals, topical gels, creams, lotions and ophthalmic preps. 

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