The nano-hardness and elastic modulus of sound deciduous canine dentin and young premolar dentin--preliminary study

The purpose of this study was to compare the nano-hardness and elastic modulus among deciduous and permanent dentin, buccal and lingual sides, incisal, center and cervical areas, and outer, middle and inner layers. Three premolars and three deciduous canines were bucco lingually (BL) sectioned, and three deciduous canines were mesio-distally (MD) sectioned parallel to the long axis at the center of the tooth. Hardness (H), plastic hardness (PH) and Young's modulus (Y) were measured using a nano-indentation tester. The H, PH and Y values from the deciduous canine dentin were significantly lower than those from the premolar dentin at most sites. For deciduous canine dentin, the H and PH values of the MD sectioned dentin were significantly higher than those of the BL sectioned dentin in many layers of many areas. Generally deciduous canine dentin had H, PH and Y values that decreased from outer toward the inner layers and significant differences were obtained among the layers in many areas. For MD sectioned deciduous canine and BD sectioned premolar dentin, the H, PH and Y values of the cervical area were significantly lower than those of the incisal and center areas in many layers. It is possible that optimum bonding may require different treatments for deciduous and permanent dentin and perhaps also for different intratooth locations.