Journal of Dental Research, Vol 69, 865-867, Copyright © 1990 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals

ARTICLES

The effect of plaque thickness on progression of artificial caries lesion formation in situ

J. R. Mellberg, I. D. Petrou and N. E. Grote
Colgate-Palmolive Company, Technology Center, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.

Eighty thin enamel sections with artificially-formed caries lesions were implanted in the buccal surfaces of molars (in the removable partial dentures of ten subjects) and covered with a steel mesh for plaque accumulation to occur. The mesh was placed in contact with the enamel surface in half the lesions and 0.5 mm above the lesions in the other half, thus facilitating formation of thin and thick plaque samples. Following two-week use of a non-fluoride dentifrice, the lesions were analyzed for mineral change by quantitative microradiography. Significant mineral was lost from lesions in both groups, but the loss was twice as large in the thick-plaque group. These findings are important to in vivo remineralization models, since they show that plaque thickness should be controlled for minimization of variation.

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