Preparation of Partially Decalcified Sections of Human Dental Enamel for Electron Microscopy

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Abstract
A simple method for the preparation of partially decalcified sections of sound and carious human dental enamel for EM studies is described. Formalin-fixed human teeth are sawed in sections with a thickness of 0.5 mm. These sections are embedded in Poly Bed 812 embedding medium prior to decalcification, immersed in an aqueous solution of 1% (wt/vol) chromic potassium sulfate, pH 3.4 and subsequently reembedded in the same resin. The decalcification process is checked by means of transmitted light microscopy. Chromic potassium sulfate fixes and contrasts the enamel matrix structures so that postfixing of specimens and additional staining of ultrathin sections are unnecessary. The method preserves the enamel matrix well and permits the preparation of serial ultrathin sections.

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