Investigation into the effects of treatments on the process of dental enamel erosion in vitro using a novel visualisation and analysis technique by confocal laser scanning microscopy

This PhD research is an investigation of the effects of acid-mediated dissolution of tooth enamel with the aim of improving therapeutic approaches against tooth wear. Techniques employed include scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), surface micro-hardness (SMH) testing, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), non-contact profilometry (NCP), transverse microradiography (TMR) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The aims were to study the effects of acid solution using erosion models with bovine teeth specimens using gold standard techniques such as SMH, and to develop and validate novel techniques using CLSM to investigate enamel porosity. The effect of tin (Sn[sup]2+), Zinc (Zn[sup]2+) and copper (Cu[sup]2+) metal ions on enamel acid protection along with investigation the effect of sodium fluoride (NaF) on remineralisation are also investigated. The impact of the neutralisation of the acid solutions was investigated and whether stirred and unstirred conditions were used during the erosive challenge was studied using a variety of techniques. The CLSM data also demonstrated the increased porosity depth and distribution which was evident with longer durations of acid challenge. Stannous fluoride (SnF[sub]2) was also shown to be an effective compound for enamel protection performing superior to NaF.