Evaluation of The Micromorphological Patterns and Chemical Changes of Enamel surface Following Application of Three Remineralizing Agents

Aim: To 1) Quantitatively evaluate the remineralizing potential of Icon infiltrant, CPP-ACP containing paste and fluoride gel on artificial enamel subsurface lesions using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), and 2) Evaluate the micro-morphological patterns of enamel subsurface lesions.
Materials and Methods: 80 freshly sound extracted human incisors were collected for this study.Ten teeth (C1) were left intact (positive control). 70 teeth used to create artificial enamel lesion by using 37% phosphoric acid gel. Another ten teeth (C2) left after decalcification (negative control). The remaining sixty teeth were randomly divided into three experimental equal groups (20 teeth each): Group 1: resin infiltrant, Group 2: CPP-ACP tooth mousse and Group 3: Sodium fluoride gel. Each group was further subdivided into two sub-groups (10 teeth each), subgroup A: examined after 24 hours and subgroup B: examined after six months storage in artificial saliva. Each material was applied following manufacture instructions. Each sample was sectioned into two halves longitudinally in the facio-palatal plane. were observed under an enviromental scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after 24 hours following the treatment procedures, as well as, after six months aging in artificial saliva. The other half will be subjected to elemental analysis under high-vacuum using energy dispersive x-ray system (EDX).
Results:The results of this study showed that after remineralization, there was a significant difference between the groups (P>0.001) when calcium and phosphorous ratios (Ca:P) were compared as seen in one-way ANOVA test, showing greater potential of remineralization for CPP-ACP followed by fluoride and Icon group. CPP-ACP was better in immediate and delayed groups to be followed by fluoride and finally infiltrant.
Conclusions:Under the limitations of this study, the outcomes reveled that CPP-ACP performed better than fluoride and Icon in remineralizing the demineralized enamel.