A novel approach to AFM characterization of adhesive tooth-biomaterial interfaces

A novel approach is proposed for studying tooth-biomaterial interactions wi th high resolution. Thus far,: polished interfaces examined by AFM have not disclosed much detail, mainly due to the destruction of soft surface textu re and the smearing of polishing debris across the interface that obscures the actual ultra-structure. Therefore the practical utility of diamond-knif e microtomy as a sample preparation technique for imaging tooth-biomaterial interfaces by AFM with high resolution was tested in this study and compar ed to that of ultra-fine mechanical polishing-techniques. The AFM images cl early demonstrated the enhanced potential of diamond-knife microtomy for no ndestructively producing clean cross-sections through interfaces that allow the interfacial ultra-structure to be imaged by AFM:with a resolution equa ling that of TEM. This novel approach opens the field to the full range of scanning probe microscopy, including physical and chemical surface characte rization of interfaces with a mix of soft and hard substrates. (C) 1999 Joh n Wiley & Sons, Inc.