Some physico-chemical properties of deciduous enamel of children with and without pre-natal fluoride supplementation (PNF)

Abstract

Physico-chemical investigations of enamel from deciduous teeth of a small number of children with and without pre-natal fluoride supplementation (PNF) exhibited the following differences between the PNF and non-PNF enamel, with the former showing: (a) more homogeneous and less extensive patterns of acid-etching; (b) denser crystal populations in intra-prismatic regions; (c) larger prism dimensions; (d) greater total mineral density (wt%ash); (e) higher degree of crystallinity; (f) smaller a-axis dimensions; and (g) more fluoride and less carbonate contents. On the basis of these preliminary findings, further studies with larger numbers of samples would seem appropriate.