ENERGY-DISPERSIVE X-RAY-MICROANALYSIS OF CALCIFIED TISSUES AFTER NAOCL TREATMENT AND OR RESIN EMBEDDING/

By energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) in scanning electron mi croscopy, we studied the calcification of the inner-basic lamellas of a cow bone and the coronal cementum of a horse tooth treated with sodi um hypochlorite (NaOCl), These tissues were divided into 4 groups with a combination of NaOCl treatment and polyester-resin embedding includ ing, [A]: non-NaOCl + Resin, [B]: non-NaOCl+ non-Resin, [C]: NaOCl + R esin, and [D]: NaOCl + non-Resin. From the Ca and P values by EDX anal ysis, it was suggested that the natural porous spaces of [B] were high er than those of [A], and both the natural and NaOCl-soluble porous sp aces were highest in [D]. However, [A] had the lowest porous spaces in both the tissues because the micropores formed 3-dimensionally by NaO Cl treatment might be incompletely filled with the resin, The backscat tered electron microscopy and the difference of the Ca/P ratios indica ted that the NaOCl treatment of the calcified tissues caused some mine rals besides organic materials to dissolve, Thus, the sample preparati on of [B] is suitable for the quantitative EDX of calcified tissues, w hereas the data of [C] except for the Ca/P ratio may be used to approx imate the Ca and P contents.