title: Is It Possible to induce Artificial Caries-affected Dentin using the Same Protocol to Primary and Permanent Teeth?
abstract: This in vitro study compared the mineral loss of natural and artificially-created caries-affected dentin in primary and permanent teeth using the same protocol to induce caries lesions.
  
  
  
  Twenty molars presenting natural occlusal dentin caries lesions (10 primary-PriC and 10 perma-nent-PermC; control group), and 20 sound molars (10 primary -PripH and 10 permanent-PermpH; experimental group), were selected. Occlusal cavities were prepared in teeth of the experimental group that were submitted to pH-cycling for 14 days to simulate caries-affected dentin. All specimens were longitudinally sectioned and prepared in order to obtain Knoop micro-hardness values from 15 to 250 urn depth, starting in bottom of center of natural lesions or cavities. The microhardness (KHN) data were submitted to three-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's tests (α = 0.05).
  
  
  
  Considering all depths, there was no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between the mineral loss of the control (PriC = 30.9 ± 6.4 and PermC = 40.8 ± 8.6) and experimental (PripH = 27.3 ± 11.1 and PermpH = 35.5 ± 14.0) groups, neither between primary and permanent teeth.
  
  
  
  The mineral loss of the artificially-created caries-affected dentin is similar to that from naturally developed dentin caries lesions.
  
  
  
  The pH-cycling model may be a suitable method to simulate caries-affected dentin in both permanent and primary teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Rua Floriano Peixoto, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tathiane Larissa
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lenzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, Rua Floriano Peixoto, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio Zovico Maxnuck
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, University of Santa Maria, Rua Floriano Peixoto, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tamara Kerber
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Tedesco
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Stomatology, University of Santa Maria, Rua Floriano Peixoto, RS, 184-Santa Maria RS-97015-372, Brazil, Phone: +55 55 32209272, e-mail: rachelrocha@smail.ufsm.br.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Rocha
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology*; D019229:Dentition, Permanent; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Dental caries; Deciduous dentition; Dentin; Hardness; Laboratory research; Permanent; Tooth