Analysis of the inorganic component of dental calculus from adult through x-rays difraction and atomic force microscopy

Abstract

The dental calculus is a product of the mineralization of the dental biofilm; within the various components that comprise it are inorganic compounds, an organic matrix composed of salivary proteins selectively adsorbed from the oral environment and several species of microorganisms. The objective of this work was to determine the inorganic composition of dental calculus using X – ray Diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), as well as the analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy – Energy Dispersive X Ray Spectroscopy (SEM – EDX), this analysis was done at the Electron Microscopy Centre at the UCV. They collected samples of supragingival dental calculus (waste material during tartrectomy activities), from 4 samples of adult patients, selected in a non-random manner, who voluntarily attended the Faculty of Dentistry of the UCV. Each sample was stored in Eppendorf tubes until processing. The XRD and AFM studies were carried out in the Molecular Structure Unit of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IDEA). The results indicated that the main inorganic component of dental calculus is hydroxyapatite in all samples analyzed, both by X ray diffraction and EDX analysis.