title: In vivo enamel fluid movement.
abstract: The aim of this study was to visualize fluid movement through dental enamel in vivo. Fifty permanent upper central incisors, from subjects aged 10-70 yr, and 5 permanent central just-erupted incisors, from subjects aged 6-7 yr, were included in the study. An impression was obtained by vinyl polyxiloxane, and replicas were then obtained by polyether impression material. The hydrophobic vinyl polyxiloxane material yielded a morphological image in situ of outward fluid flow through tooth enamel. The study confirmed in vivo that enamel is a permeable substrate, as shown by the presence of droplets on its surface, and demonstrated that age and enamel permeability are closely related. Samples from subjects of different ages showed a decreasing number and size of droplets with increasing age: freshly erupted permanent teeth showed many droplets covering the entire enamel surface. Droplets in permanent teeth were prominent along enamel perikymata.
authors.affiliation: Endodontics Unit, Department of Oral Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Italy. angelica.bertacci2@unibo.it
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertacci
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chersoni
authors.forename: Carel Leon
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prati
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003745:Dental Enamel Permeability; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008875:Middle Aged; D016628:Replica Techniques; D012212:Rheology