[Dissection of carious lesions: a new technique for three-dimensional histopathological study]

Two-dimensional analyses of the histopathological aspect of carious lesions present bias that may compromise the scientific value of studies. In this paper, the authors present a new three-dimensional technique for the histopathological analysis of carious lesions. It consists in the dissection of the affected areas under the stereomicroscope, utilizing refrigerated dental burs, without any loss of carious tissue. The dissection of three occlusal lesions located on first and second permanent molars is presented. It was possible to observe the internal reactions of enamel and dentin, and correlate the results to the macroscopic features of the occlusal surface. Some comparative aspects between the dissecting and two-dimensional techniques are discussed.