In vitro demineralization of human enamel natural and abraded surfaces: A micromechanical and SEM investigation

Abraded samples exposed to in vitro demineralization form deeper lesion depths and greater loss of mechanical properties than unabraded samples subjected to the same demineralization. Unabraded samples manifested characteristic subsurface demineralization with a shallow surface layer that remained intact, whereas no intact surface was found in abraded samples. The demineralization pattern of unabraded samples more closely resembled the pattern of natural white spot lesions and displayed wide inter-sample variation. Consideration should be given to experimental design with unabraded teeth specimens for future demineralization studies.