Assessment of the Remineralizing Potential of Biomimetic Materials on Early Artificial Caries Lesions after 28 Days: An In Vitro Study

Vincenzo Tosco; Flavia Vitiello; Riccardo Monterubbianesi; Maria Laura Gatto; Giulia Orilisi; Paolo Mengucci; Angelo Putignano; Giovanna Orsini

doi:10.3390/bioengineering10040462

Assessment of the Remineralizing Potential of Biomimetic Materials on Early Artificial Caries Lesions after 28 Days: An In Vitro Study

Bioengineering (Basel). 2023 Apr 11;10(4):462. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering10040462.

Authors

Vincenzo Tosco¹, Flavia Vitiello¹, Riccardo Monterubbianesi¹, Maria Laura Gatto², Giulia Orilisi¹, Paolo Mengucci³, Angelo Putignano^{1

4}, Giovanna Orsini¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences and Stomatology (DISCO), Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
² Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (DIISM), Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
³ Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning (SIMAU) & UdR INSTM, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
⁴ National Institute of Health and Science of Aging (INRCA), 60124 Ancona, Italy.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the loss of mineral content in the enamel surface in early artificial lesions and to assess the remineralizing potential of different agents by means of SEM coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The analysis was performed on the enamel of 36 molars divided into six equal groups, in which the experimental ones (3-6) were treated using remineralizing agents for a 28-day pH cycling protocol as follows: Group 1, sound enamel; Group 2, artificially demineralized enamel; Group 3, CPP-ACP treatment; Group 4, Zn-hydroxyapatite treatment; Group 5, NaF 5% treatment; and Group 6, F-ACP treatment. Surface morphologies and alterations in Ca/P ratio were evaluated using SEM-EDX and data underwent statistical analysis (p < 0.05). Compared with the sound enamel of Group 1, the SEM images of Group 2 clearly showed loss of integrity, minerals, and interprismatic substances. Groups 3-6 showed a structural reorganization of enamel prisms, interestingly comprising almost the entire enamel surface. Group 2 revealed highly significant differences of Ca/P ratios compared with other groups, while Groups 3-6 showed no differences with Group 1. In conclusion, all tested materials demonstrated a biomimetic ability in remineralizing lesions after 28 days of treatment.

Keywords: CPP-ACP; F-ACP; NaF; SEM-EDX; biomaterials; demineralization; early enamel lesion; enamel remineralization; nano-hydroxyapatite.

Grants and funding

This research was partially funded by SISOPD (Società Italiana Stomatologia, Odontoiatria e Protesi Dentaria—Italian Society of Dentistry, Stomatology and Prosthodontics). The sponsor had no role in the design, analysis, or interpretation of the study.