Three-dimensional observation and analysis of remineralization in dentinal caries lesions

The remineralization mechanism in dental caries lesions is not completely understood. This study reports on ultrastructural and chemical changes observed within arrested caries lesions. Carious human teeth were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused-ion-beam (FIB)-SEM. The cry...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-03, Vol.10 (1), p.4387-4387, Article 4387
Main Authors: Yoshihara, Kumiko, Nagaoka, Noriyuki, Nakamura, Akiko, Hara, Toru, Hayakawa, Satoshi, Yoshida, Yasuhiro, Van Meerbeek, Bart
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/1647/328/1649
692/699/3017/3018
Biomimetics
Chemical elements
Crystals
Dental caries
Dental Caries - diagnostic imaging
Dental Caries - pathology
Dentin
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Lesions
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
multidisciplinary
Remineralization
Scanning electron microscopy
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Spectroscopy
Teeth
Tooth Remineralization
Transmission electron microscopy
Tubules
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The remineralization mechanism in dental caries lesions is not completely understood. This study reports on ultrastructural and chemical changes observed within arrested caries lesions. Carious human teeth were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused-ion-beam (FIB)-SEM. The crystals detected in the caries lesions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), along with chemical element mapping using energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS)-STEM. FIB-SEM 3D reconstructions revealed a severely damaged dentin surface abundantly covered by bacteria. Although the dentin tubules were clogged up to a depth of 100 μm, bacterial invasion into dentin tubules was not observed. TEM crystal analysis and EDS-STEM revealed the presence of Ca and P, as well as of Mg within the HAp crystals deposited inside the dentin tubules. It was concluded that extensive remineralization with deposition of Mg-HAp crystals had occurred in dentin tubules of caries-arrested dentin. Understanding the natural remineralization process is thought to be helpful for developing clinical biomimetic remineralization protocols.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-61111-1