Scanning electron microscope study of fish tooth dentin. (Serrasalmus nattereri KNER).

The teeth used in this study were obtained from two piranha with a body length of 15cm. The animals were from the Yomiuriland Marine Aquarium in Tokyo . These teeth, with a small amount of attached periodontal tissues , were removed from the upper and lower jaws of these fish. They were fixed in neutral formalin solution , dehydrated with alcohol and acetone and dried at room temperature . Some of the specimens were coated with gold immediately after drying so that the outer surface could be examined. The other specimens were fractured with a chisel to expose the dentin surfaces, which were then coated with gold . Some of the fractured dentin surfaces were etched with 1/200 N formic acid for 30 seconds before coating. All of the specimens coated with gold were studied under the scanning electron microscope. Some of the teeth were prepared as conventional decalcified paraffin embedded sections that were stained with H-E and examined with the light microscope .