Abstract
Purpose: To examine the effects of an ion-releasing filler-containing gel on the remineralization of dentin using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Dentin slabs of bovine teeth were sliced and shaped into a rectangular form. Specimens were treated with undersaturated 0.1 M lactic acid buffer solution (pH 4.75) for 10 minutes and then placed in artificial saliva (pH 7.0). This procedure was repeated three times a day for 28 days. The dentin remineralization effects of a fluoride/S-PRG filler-containing gel (PRG) and a 38% SDF solution (SDF) on dentin slabs of bovine teeth were compared. After treatment, the dentin slabs were immersed in a 0.1 M lactic acid buffer solution and then placed in artificial saliva. This procedure was repeated three times a day for 28 days. OCT imaging was conducted on the selected location of the dentin surface. The peak intensity and width at 1/e(2) were recorded in each of the six areas on the sample and averaged. Each group had a sample size of 10. Knoop hardness number (KHN) measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations were also conducted. The data for each group were subjected to a one-way repeated-measures ANOVA and Tukey tests (alpha= 0.05). The samples were also observed using SEM. Results: The peak signal intensities of SDF and PRG decreased on day 7 and then slightly increased during the experimental period for the one-off application groups and then decreased for frequent-time application groups. Although the width at 1/e(2) in the untreated specimens decreased over the test period, SDF and PRG for the one-off application groups exhibited an increase in widths on day 7 followed by a slight decrease, whereas it increased for the frequent-time application groups. The average KHN of the dentin samples exhibited the same tendency as the width at 1/e(2). Closure of the dentin tubules and crystal precipitation were detected on the surface of both SDF and PRG groups.