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A scanning electron microscopic and microradiographic study of pits in fluorosed human enamel
Author(s) -
THYLSTRUP A.,
FEJERSKOV O.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.1979.tb00661.x
Subject(s) - enamel paint , scanning electron microscope , anatomy , lesion , chemistry , dentistry , materials science , pathology , composite material , biology , medicine
— The aim of the present study has been to correlate the surface appearance of pitted, fluorosed enamel in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) with the microradiographic features of the underlying tissue. Intact enamel surfaces of severely fluorosed teeth appeared similar to that of normal enamel. In the unabraded surfaces discrete pits were sharply demarcated from the surrounding intact enamel surface leaving steep walls of parallel running rods. The microradiographic appearance of sections made through pits indicated that focal loss of surface enamel occurred corresponding to the inner highly hypomineralized part of the fluorotic subsurface lesion. The abrupt wall formation and the finding that the striae of Retzius never changed direction along the margins of the lesions indicated that pits in fluorosed enamel may be secondarily produced defects rather than true hypoplasias. Further evidence of the posteruptive origin of the defects was derived from the observation that enamel lamellae occasionally formed part of the lateral border. The relatively higher degree of radiopacity observed in the tissue surrounding the pit indicates a posteruptively acquired deposition of minerals in the exposed porous enamel.