In-situ Remineralization of Dental Enamel Worked by Surface Functional Group

An in-situ remineralization approach was applied on etched enamel surface as a superficial caries model. The model surface modified by -SO3- function group and the remineralization experiment worked in artificial saliva with the presence and absence of fluoride respectively. The composition and structure of the obtained crystals were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, SAED and EDS. The results revealed that modified functional group improved the remineralization of dental enamel effectively. The crystals grown in the artificial saliva with the presence of fluoride were rod-like fluorapatite (FHA) with high aspect ratio aligning along the c-axis, which were quite analogous to the natural enamel in chemical components and microarchitectural structure. The study has significance for the repair of superficial caries.