Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2026
Impact of Common Fruit Juices and Toothbrushing on the Discoloration of Primary Teeth
Published on: March 27, 2026
Enamel surface characteristics in early childhood caries: A comparative in vitro analysis with teeth of caries-free
Lavanya Sundararajan1, J Shanti Swarup2, Mahesh Ramakrishnan1
1Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Purpose:
Early childhood caries (ECC) is a chronic, infectious, and transmissible condition with a complex multifactorial etiology, aspects of which remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate differences in enamel loss and surface roughness between primary teeth affected by ECC and those of caries-free dentition.
Materials And Methods:
Sixty-four extracted human primary incisors from two groups of children were allocated to two study groups: Group I (ECC-affected; n = 32) and Group II (caries-free; n = 32). All samples underwent artificial demineralization by immersion in 0.1 mol/L lactic acid (pH 5.3) at 37°C for 30 days. Postdemineralization, enamel loss and surface roughness were assessed using three-dimensional noncontact profilometry. Statistical analysis was performed using independent t -test.
Results:
The mean depth of demineralization was significantly higher in the ECC affected group (9.04 ± 4.08 μm) compared to the caries-free group (4.45 ± 3.39 μm). Similarly, the mean surface roughness was higher in the ECC group (2.00 ± 0.79 μm) than in the N-ECC group (0.87 ± 0.59 μm).
Conclusions:
Primary teeth affected by ECC exhibit significantly greater enamel loss and surface roughness following demineralization. These findings suggest the presence of inherent structural enamel defects in ECC-affected teeth, which may contribute to their increased susceptibility to caries development in children.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
01:28Development of the Oral Microbiota