Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
artificial saliva offers minimal protective effect to the softened enamel
surface against tooth brushing.
Remineralization of demineralized dental hard tissue has long been
considered as a non-invasive option for the prophylaxis and treatment
of caries. Some commercial remineralization products are currently
available in the market. Unfortunately, most evaluations of the
remineralization potential of such treatments have concentrated on
mineral density measurements and so far there are no nano-mechanical
reports on the effects of these remineralization products. Only one report
suggested that human saliva has the function to remineralize a
structurally weakened enamel surface due to its high calcium and
phosphate concentrations.
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Similarly, lasers have also long been utilized in the dental clinic as
a cutting method or surface treatment method for caries prophylaxis.
Considerable morphological and histological research has been
undertaken on laser treated dental hard tissues. Again, the method is
lacking comparable micro-mechanical characterization, for instance
using nanoindentation to establish its efficacy.
5. Conclusions
The use of nanoindentation in dental hard tissue studies has significantly
improved our understanding of the mechanical behavior of enamel,
dentin and cementum with respect to their microstructural and
compositional characteristics, as well as the consequences of disease and
of chemically-induced conditions. At the same time, dental hard tissue
diseases and dental materials as well as treatments have begun to be
evaluated by nanoindentation, which has led to dramatic progress in
these areas. Detailed investigations of the inelastic behaviour of enamel
by nanoindentation have opened a new window for comparative
biomaterial evaluation with advanced techniques now possible, and these
investigations may influence the biomaterial and restorative material
selection criteria in the future.
However, caution must be expressed as the nanoindentation technique
evaluates only the mechanical properties of a very shallow surface region
of a specimen, which may have undergone damage associated with
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