title: Progression and surface ultrastructure of in vitro caused erosive lesions in human and bovine enamel.
abstract: Surface prismatic and aprismatic human enamel and unpolished or diamond-polished specimens of bovine enamel, with test and control surfaces on each studied block, were immersed in phosphoric acid containing cola beverage (pH 2.6) and citric or malic acid containing sports drinks (pH 2.8 and 3.4, respectively) for 15-180 min. The specimens were then prepared and studied in a JEOL 35C scanning electron microscope. In human aprismatic surface enamel an irregular type of dissolution was observed, with severely affected areas adjacent to less affected ones. Prismatic human and bovine specimens showed a characteristic dissolution where initial erosion after 15 min immersion was seen to affect specifically the prism sheath areas. Longer immersion caused dissolution of enamel prism cores followed by interprismatic areas. In bovine enamel malic acid affected least the surface ultrastructure when compared with citric and phosphoric acids after 15-30 min of immersion, but thereafter no difference was observed between the acids in causing erosion. Diamond-polished enamel was found more liable to erosion than non-polished enamel. Thus, the structure of enamel greatly modified the progression of in vitro caused erosion, in particular in human tooth specimens.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Université Louis-Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Meurman
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002417:Cattle; D002951:Citrates / Q000009:adverse effects; D019343:Citric Acid; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008293:Malates; D010756:Phosphoric Acids / Q000009:adverse effects; D013499:Surface Properties; D014077:Tooth Erosion / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D008293:Malates; D010756:Phosphoric Acids; D019343:Citric Acid; C030298:malic acid; C030242:phosphoric acid