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We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the effects of acidic and aqueous treatments on human dentin. Two basic points were determined: the first is the ability of AFM to discriminate the effect of phosphoric acid (pH approximately equal to 1) on polished dentin, and the second is the demonstrable effect of moisture on fibrous collagen structure. AFM images confirmed that the polishing process led to the removal of both smear layer and smear plugs. Our AFM study of undried dentin, which was then acid treated and kept moist, revealed substantial morphological changes at the dentin surface. Collagen fibers, having a characteristic periodicity of 67 nm, were imaged in situ for the first time; these structures were absent in dentin treated by phosphoric acid and subsequently vacuum dried, even after prolonged reimmersion in water. The AFM technique permitted us to demonstrate the important roles that moisture and etching play in the determination of the structure of collagen fibrils. Such structure may also play an important role in the diffusibility of subsequently applied dental adhesion systems.

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