Fluorine uptake into human enamel around a fluoride-containing dental material during cariogenic pH cycling

Abstract

Using PIGE (TIARA, JAPAN) technique, we measured fluorine (F) uptake into the tooth enamel around a fluoride-containing material during caries progression using pH cycling. Class I cavities in the buccal surfaces of 6 extracted human teeth were drilled and filled with fluoride-containing material; a glass ionomer cement (Fuji IX(GC)). Three 300 μm sections through the material were obtained from each tooth. Two of these specimens were utilized to measure the F distribution in enamel adjacent to the material. A 1.7 MeV proton beam accelerated by the TIARA single-ended accelerator was delivered to a micro-beam apparatus. The beam spot size was about 1 μm with a beam current of about 100 pA. A nuclear reaction, 19F(p, αγ) 160, was used to measure the F concentration and the gamma-rays from this reaction were detected with a 4” NaI detector. X-rays induced by proton were detected with a Si(Li) detector to measure calcium concentration and the beam intensity was monitored with the X-ray yield from a copper foil for quantitative analysis. After measurement of F uptake, all specimens were polished to a thickness of 120 μm. In order to simulate daily acid challenges occurring in the oral cavity, the pH cycling (pH6.8–pH4.5) was carried out for 1, 3 and 5 weeks, separately. The duration that the solution remained below pH 5.5 was 37 min per cycle. The cycles were repeated 6 times per day with 2 h interval between cycles, and the specimens were kept in remineralizing solution for the rest of pH cycle. After pH cycling, F and calcium distribution of each specimen was evaluated using PIGE technique. The F distribution of the specimens before pH cycling clearly showed the F uptake from fluoride-containing material into enamel adjacent to the material. After pH cycling, the caries progression in all specimens was observed by the image of transverse microradiography (TMR). The depth of caries and mineral loss progressed with increasing the duration of pH cycling, although the enamel adjacent to the material remained a caries inhibition zone due to low rate of demineralization. With caries progression, fluorine accumulated in the subsurface of the caries lesion, while the outermost surface of the caries lesion gradually dissolved under increasing pH cycling. The data obtained using PIGE (TIARA, JAPAN) technique were useful to understand the fluorine benefit for preventing dental caries by means of fluoride-containing dental materials.