Method of visualizing and quantifying remineralization
AssigneeJohnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.
InventorsMatthew Richtmyer, Chantel Tester, Daniel Queiroz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of assessing and/or quantifying remineralization in a tooth model by exposing a tooth model to calcium and a calcium-binding fluorophore either sequentially or simultaneously under conditions sufficient to produce a remineralized/demineralized tooth model; exposing the remineralized/demineralized tooth model to a non-calcium binding fluorophore to produce an enhanced tooth model; and assessing and/or quantifying remineralization, demineralization, or both on the enhanced tooth model by determining the location and extent of calcium binding fluorophore and non-calcium binding fluorophore on the enhanced test tooth sample.
Claims10
A method of assessing remineralization and/or demineralization in a tooth model comprising the steps of:
- (a) exposing a tooth model to calcium and a calcium-binding fluorophore comprising calcein, either sequentially or simultaneously, under conditions sufficient to produce a remineralized/demineralized tooth model;
- (b) exposing the remineralized/demineralized tooth model of step (a) to a non-calcium binding fluorophore comprising sulforhodamine B and/or at least one rhodamine to produce an enhanced tooth model;
- and
- (c) assessing remineralization, demineralization, or both on the enhanced tooth model by determining the presence, location and/or relative magnitude of the calcium binding fluorophore and the non-calcium binding fluorophore on the enhanced tooth model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.