Acetate peel technique: a rapid way of preparing sequential surface replicas of dental hard tissues for microscopic examination.

OBJECTIVE In order to study dental structures in three-dimensional views, sequential microscopic sections are needed. Routine thin-sectioning needs equipment, it is time-consuming, expensive and cause sample wastage during sectioning. The acetate peel technique used for microscopic examinations of carbonate rocks and fossils was modified and successfully adapted for teeth. DESIGN A human tooth was embedded in resin block; the surface to be peeled was ground and polished with carborundum powder on a glass plate using water. The polished surface was etched, washed, and dried. The dry surface was flooded with acetone and a piece of acetate film was placed over it. As the acetone evaporated, the film settled down to take the shape of micro relief produced by etching. The film dried in 10--15 min. It was pulled off the surface and mounted between two glass slides for examination under microscope. RESULTS This technique enabled making numerous sequential surface replicas (peels) from a tooth, especially from fully mineralised enamel without routine decalcifying, dehydrating, sawing, and mounting processes. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained with the stained peels, showed that this technique is an efficient way to study gross and fine structures of etched dental hard tissues surfaces and restoration-cavity marginal integrity with three-dimensional detail.