TY - JOUR
T1 - Hierarchical 2D to 3D micro/nano-histology of human dental caries lesions using light, X-ray and electron microscopy
AU - Besnard, Cyril
AU - Marie, Ali
AU - Bucek, Petr
AU - Sasidharan, Sisini
AU - Harper, Robert
AU - Marathe, Shashidhara
AU - Wanelik, Kaz
AU - Landini, Gabriel
AU - Shelton, Richard
AU - Korsunsky, Alexander M.
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Dental caries is a widespread disease that proceeds by damaging superficial tooth enamel by heterogeneous dissolution. Conventional histology identifies different zones within carious lesions by their optical appearance, but fails to quantify the underlying nanoscale structural changes as a function of specific location, impeding better understanding of the demineralisation process. We employ detailed collocative analysis using different imaging modalities, resolutions and fields of view. Focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) reveals subsurface 3D nanostructure within milled micro-sized volumes, whilst X-ray tomography allows minimally destructive 3D imaging over large volumes. Correlative combination of these techniques reveals fine detail of enamel rods, inter-rod substance, sheaths, crystallites and voids as a function of location. The degree of enamel demineralisation within the body of the lesion, near its front, and at the surface is visualized and quantified in 3D. We thus establish the paradigm of dental 3D nano-histology as an advanced platform for quantitative evaluation of caries-induced structural modification.
AB - Dental caries is a widespread disease that proceeds by damaging superficial tooth enamel by heterogeneous dissolution. Conventional histology identifies different zones within carious lesions by their optical appearance, but fails to quantify the underlying nanoscale structural changes as a function of specific location, impeding better understanding of the demineralisation process. We employ detailed collocative analysis using different imaging modalities, resolutions and fields of view. Focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) reveals subsurface 3D nanostructure within milled micro-sized volumes, whilst X-ray tomography allows minimally destructive 3D imaging over large volumes. Correlative combination of these techniques reveals fine detail of enamel rods, inter-rod substance, sheaths, crystallites and voids as a function of location. The degree of enamel demineralisation within the body of the lesion, near its front, and at the surface is visualized and quantified in 3D. We thus establish the paradigm of dental 3D nano-histology as an advanced platform for quantitative evaluation of caries-induced structural modification.
KW - Correlative imaging
KW - FIB-S(T)EM
KW - Human carious enamel
KW - Image analysis 2D/3D
KW - Light microscopy
KW - Synchrotron X-ray tomography
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132226321&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.matdes.2022.110829
DO - 10.1016/j.matdes.2022.110829
M3 - Article
SN - 0261-3069
VL - 220
JO - Materials & Design
JF - Materials & Design
M1 - 110829
ER -