An improved technique for producing casts of the internal structure of hard tissues, including some observations on...

A method for producing plastic casts of the internal structure of dentine has been described by Marten, Hallsworth and Buckley, J. Microsc. 112, 345-352 (1978). The main drawback of the method is that the casts collapse when they are air-dried. In the present investigation a freeze-drying technique was used to eliminate this problem. In addition, subtle variations in methodology were necessary to produce optimal casts of different hard tissues. These are described in detail and initial observations of the internal structure of human coronal and radicular dentine are also included. Special attention was given to the structure of Tomes' granular layer.