Hierarchical 2D to 3D micro/nano-histology of human dental caries lesions using light, X-ray and electron microscopy

Dental caries is a widespread disease that proceeds by damaging superficial tooth enamel heterogeneous dissolution. Conventional histology identifies different zones within carious lesions their optical appearance, but fails to quantify the underlying nanoscale structural changes as function of specific location, impeding better understanding demineralisation process. We employ detailed collocative analysis using imaging modalities, resolutions and fields view. Focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) reveals subsurface 3D nanostructure milled micro-sized volumes, whilst X-ray tomography allows minimally destructive over large volumes. Correlative combination these techniques fine detail rods, inter-rod substance, sheaths, crystallites voids location. The degree body lesion, near its front, at surface visualized quantified in 3D. thus establish paradigm dental nano-histology an advanced platform for quantitative evaluation caries-induced modification.