Histopathology of natural enamel caries from birefringence: new paper (Sousa et al., Caries Res, 2013)

    A new paper on histopathology of natural enamel caries (Caries Research, 47(3): 183, 2013; DOI: 10.1159/000345378) relates biochemical data (derived from interpretation of enamel birefringence) to diffusion/permeability at histological points of natural enamel caries and normal enamel.

Paper highlights are:
- natural enamel caries presents a higher than normal organic content with a profile that decreases from the surface layer inward;
- surface layer of natural enamel caries presenting a mean mineral content lower than that of the body of the lesion and normal enamel;
- the water volume more easily available for diffusion (alphaD; square water volume divided by the nonmineral volume; related to permeability) is reported at histological points of natural enamel caries and normal enamel;
- surface layer of natural enamel caries presenting alphaD values lower than that of the body of the lesion, similar to that of normal enamel, and lower than that of the surface layer of artificial enamel caries.
  Mineral, water and organic volumes are considered to predict permeability at histological zones of enamel caries, a new insight for studying remineralization and infiltration of enamel caries related to natural and artificial caries lesions.