The dentin pellicle - A neglected topic in dental research.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nAll soft and solid surfaces exposed to the oral cavity are covered by an acquired pellicle. While the pellicle adsorbed on enamel is well researched, only limited data are available on the dentin pellicle. The purpose of the present review is to summarize studies considering the composition, structure and properties of the dentin pellicle and compare them with the current state of research on enamel pellicle.\n\n\nMETHODS\nThe literature search was conducted using Medline database and Google Scholar, including checking reference lists of journal articles by handsearching. Thereby, 19 studies were included in the present review.\n\n\nRESULTS AND CONCLUSION\nThe dentin pellicle has a similar ultrastructure to the enamel pellicle, which is up to 1\u2009μm thick depending on pellicle formation time and localization in the oral cavity. In contrast, due to the lack of studies on the dentin pellicle regarding its composition and properties, a comparison to the enamel pellicle is difficult. So far, only one study showed anti-abrasive properties and data on anti-erosive properties were controversial. Despite becoming more and more clinically relevant due to the increasing frequency of dentin exposure, the dentin pellicle is largely unexplored. For further investigations it is not only necessary to standardize dentin specimens, but also to assess fundamental research on dentin itself, as its complex morphology and composition may have a crucial influence on pellicle formation. Furthermore, a more detailed knowledge of the dentin pellicle may also reveal target sites for modification in favor of its protective properties.