Hirohiko Inage

Ultrasonic Determination of the Effect of Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate Paste on the Demineralization of Bovine Dentin

The purpose of this study was to investigate the demineralization of dentin by measuring changes in the velocity of the sonic longitudinal waves transmitted through this substrate. One group of samples was immersed in demineralization solution for 10 min twice a day and then stored in artificial saliva. Two additional groups of samples were treated with a solution of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) paste or a placebo paste without CPP-ACP before demineralization and a control group was stored in artificial saliva. The sonic velocity of the demineralized specimens was found to decrease significantly over time. No significant increase in sonic velocity was observed in specimens treated with CPP-ACP, suggesting that CPP-ACP acted to prevent demineralization.

Ultrasonic monitoring of the setting of glass–ionomer luting cements

This study used ultrasonic measurements to monitor the setting behaviour, and changes in the elastic modulus, of glass-ionomer cements. The ultrasonic equipment comprised a pulser-receiver, transducers, and an oscilloscope. The two-way transit time through the mixing cement disk was divided by two, in order to account for the down-and-back travel path, and then multiplied by the sonic velocity within the material. The sonic velocities of the longitudinal and shear waves were used to determine the elastic modulus. In the earliest stages of the setting process, most of the ultrasound energy was absorbed by the cements and the second echoes were relatively weak. As the cements hardened, the sound velocities increased until they reached a plateau. The changes in sound velocities differed among the glass-ionomer cements tested. The mean elastic moduli of the specimens ranged from 2.6 to 6.2 GPa after 15 min, from 13.4 to 20.4 GPa after 24 h, and from 11.4 to 22.4 GPa after 1 month. The ultrasonic method used in this study has considerable potential for determining the setting processes of luting cements.