ABSTRACT
Qualitative polarized light microscopy and cross-sectional microhardness testing profiles were used to compare artificial root caries lesions with those naturally present in extracted human teeth. The artificial lesions were produced by immersion of roots with exposed windows in chemical buffers of acetate and lactate with no added enzymes or bacteria. The three buffer systems used produced lesions with the range of histological characteristics of natural lesions. These included a 'body' or 'surface' zone of the lesion when viewed in water, and a 'frontal' zone of reverse birefringence when viewed in quinoline. The 'frontal' zone was noted to first develop after three days of immersion in acetate buffer. Advanced natural lesions exhibited a wide, diffuse, advancing front, which was similar to that produced by 28-60 day lesions in acetate. Microhardness profiles of natural lesions could all be matched by one or more of the artificial lesions. The demineralizing process was seen to reduce mineral content across the lesion from 45 per cent in normal dentine to between 15 and 25 per cent.
Subject(s)
Root Caries/pathology , Acetic Acid/administration & dosage , Buffers , Hardness , Humans , Immersion , Lactic Acid/administration & dosage , Microscopy, Polarization , Minerals/analysis , Quinolines , Root Caries/chemically induced , Root Caries/metabolism , Time Factors , Tooth Demineralization/metabolism , Tooth Demineralization/pathology , WaterABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to compare various model systems for the production of in vitro root caries and to assess their ability to simulate the naturally occurring root caries process. Partially saturated buffer models and gel models were evaluated using polarized light microscopy and both qualitative and quantitative microradiography. All model systems showed very similar lesion formation when examined under polarized light. When microradiographs were compared, the systems which contained fluoride, showed clear radiopaque bands within the lesion. The bands, which occurred only in the presence of fluoride, appeared to be due to remineralization. When using an in vitro system that simulates the natural root caries process, it is imperative to understand the components of the particular model, as well as its limitations, and to be aware of the need for more than one evaluative technique.