A Nondestructive Method for Monitoring De- and Remineralization of Enamel

Abstract

The scattering of white light by bulk dental enamel and artificial lesions was studied with light incident under an angle of 45 ° and observed perpendicularly to the surface. The frames of illumination and observation were 0.3 × 0.3 and 0.2 × 0.2 mm2, respectively. The intensity of backscattered light increases with lesion thickness as caused by increasing the demineralization period; and decreases with lesion mineral content as caused by remineralization. The results demonstrate clearly that this nondestructive method is useful for quantitative monitoring of de- and remineralization processes.