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Fluoride‐induced precipitates on enamel surface and subsurface areas visualised by electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy
Author(s) -
Duschner H.,
Götz H.,
Øgaard B.
Publication year - 1997
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.1600-0722.1997.tb00232.x
Subject(s) - enamel paint , scanning electron microscope , confocal laser scanning microscopy , fluoride , crystallite , materials science , environmental scanning electron microscope , microscopy , confocal , chemistry , mineralogy , chemical engineering , nuclear chemistry , metallurgy , inorganic chemistry , composite material , biophysics , optics , physics , biology , engineering
The present study examined the enamel surface after in vitro topical treatments with a neutral 2% NaF solution. For minimising the risk of artefacts, samples were inspected without pre‐treatment as fresh, naturally wet specimens by complementary techniques: variable pressure electron microscopy (VP‐SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). VP‐SEM provided information on the surface morphology, whereas CLSM allowed nondestructive visualisation of subsurface areas. Neutral NaF solutions induced globular precipitates on the enamel surfaces. If the globules formed may be described as “calcium fluoride like material”, the additional information of this experiment is that, after interaction with neutral solutions, they also contain considerable amounts of NaF. When the NaF solutions were soaked on pellets and then were brought into contact with the enamel surfaces, NaF crystallites of cubic shape are formed. Confocal optical tomographies of subsurface enamel after treatments with neutral NaF solutions revealed partly coroded enamel structures, whereas VP‐SEM showed intact surfaces. In between the coroded. areas, a fine granulate precipitate could be observed. This is evidence that fluoride induces the formation of sub‐surface precipitates only when applied during demineralisation. The precipitate could be readily removed by 24‐h contact with a KOH solution.