Surface structure of human deciduous enamel by atomic force microscope

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine surface structure of deciduous enamel. Five of deciduous enamel specimens(3 mm in diameter)were prepared from extracted human deciduous teeth without or with natural white spot lesion using a hollow core drill. The surfaces were highly polished using a improved standard methods. Three surface of deciduous enamel without natural white spot lesion were covered half surface by nail vernish and then immersed 4 hours at 37 degree in demineralized solution to prepare artificial white spot lesion at a half of the surface. Another half of the surface was employed as a control of deciduous enamel. These sample surfaces were observed by using AFM. The AFM images showed the surface of natural and artificial white spot lesion of deciduous enamel increased crystal interspace as compared with a control. The AFM image with high magnification detected rectangle crystals at natural white spot lesion and square crystal at artificial white spot lesion as compared with round or oval crystal of control deciduous enamel. Based on these results, our improved method for polishing of deciduous enamel surface was suitable to observe the surface of deciduous enamel at crystal level by AFM. Deciduous enamel crystal at the surface of natural white spot lesion is different from crystal at the surface of artificial white spot lesion.