SCANNING MICRORADIOGRAPHIC AND MICROTOMOGRAPHIC STUDIES OF REMINERALIZATION OF SUBSURFACE ENAMEL LESIONS

Scanning microradiography (SMR) and X-ray microtomography (XMT) were used to study remineralisation of subsurface enamel lesions quantitatively at a resolution of about 10 mum. With SMR, the mineral changes during de- and re-mineralisation could be measured as a function of time and position in the same tooth section. The results showed that remineralisation occurred in ten out of the 17 enamel sections; it essentially stopped after eight weeks and complete repair was never seen, even after 14 weeks. The amount of mineral gained in the subsurface maximum and subsurface minimum for each were very similar, but differed between sections. XMT also showed partial remineralisation, but again no complete repair. There was no evidence of a 'barrier' to remineralisation caused by nearly complete remineralisation of the surface enamel.