Obtaining artificially caries-affected dentin for in vitro studies

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Research
• Microbiology

Background:

• Standardizing laboratory models for dental caries research is crucial for evaluating new treatments.
• Caries-affected dentin (CAD) is a key substrate in caries progression and remineralization studies.
• Current methods for producing standardized CAD can be time-consuming and variable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a protocol for generating standard caries-affected dentin (CAD) using Streptococcus mutans biofilm.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different durations of cariogenic challenge and dentin types (erupted vs. unerupted) in producing CAD.
• To compare various diagnostic methods for assessing CAD formation.

Main Methods:

• Human molars were subjected to cariogenic challenge with Streptococcus mutans biofilm for 7, 14, or 21 days.
• Dentin samples were categorized as erupted or unerupted.
• Evaluations included visual inspection (VI), digital radiography (DR), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and laser fluorescence (LF).

Main Results:

• Visual inspection and digital radiography successfully identified CAD, with no significant differences between erupted and unerupted teeth groups.
• Laser fluorescence showed significant differences based on the substrate type (p = 0.001).
• Optical coherence tomography revealed no significant differences in demineralization depth related to substrate type, challenge duration, or their interaction.

Conclusions:

• A 7-day cariogenic challenge using unerupted teeth and Streptococcus mutans biofilm is sufficient to produce standard CAD.
• This standardized protocol is valuable for laboratory testing in operative dentistry, particularly for evaluating remineralization potential of CAD.
• The findings offer a more efficient method for preparing experimental models of dental caries.