[High resolution electron microscopy of the crystalline structure in remineralized enamel]

The present work was designed to elucidate crystallographic changes in enamel that had been demineralized in a 0.01 M acetate buffer (pH 4.0) for 2 days at 50 degrees C and then remineralized in a solution containing 1 mM Ca, 0.6 mM P, and 0.05 mM F for 1 or 2 weeks at 37 degrees C. The demineralized and remineralized enamel samples were observed by means of high-resolution electron microscopy, electron-probe analysis, and small area X-ray or electron diffraction. Before remineralization, demineralized enamel had been composed of sparsely arranged apatite crystals with either a central perforation or lateral surface defects or both. Measurements of crystalline (001) planes indicated that crystals in demineralized enamel were significantly larger than those in intact enamel, thus suggesting that crystal growth had taken place during demineralization. Small, newly formed, hexagonal crystals occurred in remineralized enamel. In some cases, precipitation of such small crystals together with localized enamel-crystal regrowth restored central perforations and lateral defects. A number of the small, newly formed crystals and preexisting enamel crystals aggregated to form a group with a roughly hexagonal outline. After the growth and fusion of these grouping crystals, a large, regular-hexagonal crystal formed. Such various kinds of lattice defects as edge dislocation, small-angle grain boundary, and lattice displacement were frequently detected in fusing crystal boundaries. Prolonging remineralization duration seemed to reinforce these lattice defects. Electron-probe and X-ray diffraction studies led to the assumption that the large hexagonal crystals were fluoroapatite. These results indicate that remineralization of demineralized enamel proceeds through several stages, including formation and growth of new crystals and regrowth of preexisting enamel crystals.