In Vivo Microstructural Analysis of Enamel in Permanent and Deciduous Teeth

Abstract

Confocal microscope was used to analyze human enamel from 10 deciduous and 10 permanent teeth. Optically sectioned images were obtained. A more intense autofluorescence was found in primary teeth. This finding might be due to the greater presence of organic substances in deciduous enamel. The mean prism diameter measurement in permanent teeth enamel was 3.150 µm and 2.602 µm in deciduous teeth. The mean prism diameter in deciduous teeth was statistically least. The results indicate that a confocal microscope may be of help in analyzing and defining the microscopic features of human enamel.