Dental Hard Tissue (Human and Bovine) Sample Preparation

Dental hard tissue consists of enamel and dentine, while dental restoration materials include composite resins and ceramics. Our highly-specialized team can prepare a wide range of samples from these materials which can be used in laboratory studies and clinical trials.

Samples of dental hard tissue and dental restoration materials are often used in laboratory studies and clinical trials, to assess the efficacy of oral care products. In order to achieve the aims of these studies, dental hard tissue samples are required to be prepared to precise, uniform specifications. Failure to prepare enough samples to meet the defined criteria will compromise the study.

Intertek Clinical Research Services (CRS) maintains stocks of human and bovine teeth which can be used as a substrate for preparing large numbers of enamel and dentine samples. Our highly-specialised experts and equipment enable us to prepare dental tissue samples to precise, uniform specifications.

We are a trusted partner for manufacturers of oral care products. We can reliably supply our clients with large numbers of dental hard tissue samples and restoration materials that meet the specific requirements of their studies. Our service provides our clients with a reliable, high-quality substrate for rapidly evaluating the efficacy of their oral care products. 

Our samples of dental hard tissue samples and dental restoration materials are suitable for assessing a range of endpoints, including surface microhardness, stain uptake, stain removal, fluoride uptake, erosion and glossiness. 

 
Sample Preparation of Human or Bovine Dental Hard Tissue

Intertek is licensed by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) to collect and use extracted human teeth for evaluating the efficacy of oral care products. We also source bovine teeth which are a byproduct of the food industry. 

Our team of scientists can use our stocks of human or bovine teeth and apply technical expertise to produce enamel or dentine samples to a wide range of shapes, sizes and finishes for a range of in vitro models and in situ clinical studies using a range of equipment, such as diamond abraders, precision saws, drills and polishing and lapping machines. Samples of dental hard tissue can be prepared to specific dimensions that meet the requirements of a study or tailored to meet the specific requirements of our clients.  

Enamel and dentine blocks can be made as small as 2 mm square, or as large as 10 mm square, depending on whether human or bovine teeth are used as the substrate. Our samples can be supplied individually or set into resin discs or blocks to enable easier handling and analysis. Examples are bovine enamel blocks set into plastic cuvettes for use in staining and Pellicle Cleaning Ratio (PCR) tests. For in situ studies, blocks can be prepared to fit dental appliances, containing up to eight specimens at once.

For dentine tubule blockage experiments, our dentine discs can be made with the dentine tubules perpendicular to the surface. We can also produce blocks that expose the enamel/dentine junction.

For remineralisation studies, we can use our diamond-wire saw to prepare sections of enamel with a thickness of 300 microns or less, polished to your desired finish and mounted ready for micro-radiography.

Stained Enamel Samples
Intertek can use in-house protocols and industry experience to supply our clients with stained enamel samples for use in stain-removal studies. The stain deposited onto the enamel samples is robust and suitable for evaluating the ability of an oral care product to remove stained pellicle. We can also stain enamel samples into the darker end of the VITA shade guide for x shades whiter tests.  

Demineralised Enamel Samples
Our experts can provide demineralised enamel samples with artificial lesions formed in the enamel layer. These lesions can be prepared using a range of protocols, to meet our clients’ requirements. 

Dental Restoration Materials
We work with a wide variety of dental restoration materials, including composites, glass ionomers, acrylics, light- or chemical-cured polymer-based materials, and can cast high-quality blocks or discs of pure restoration materials to your required specifications. 

Pre-Screened Samples
Intertek can pre-screen many of our prepared samples to ensure that our clients’ requirements are met. Examples include assessing degrees of staining and enamel surface microhardness.

Our In vitro Oral Care Product Support
Our team of dedicated scientists with significant experience working within the oral care sector. For more than 20 years, our Intertek CRS team has been a trusted partner for global developers and manufacturers of oral care products.

We are licensed by the HTA to collect and store relevant material which has come from a human body. We are also ISO 9001 accredited, ensuring we operate an internationally recognised quality system focused on continuous improvement. 

With Total Quality Assurance, we provide a one-source solution for all your in vitro studies, providing robust data to support product development and claim support for novel treatments. Intertek provides our clients with a fast, reliable, cost-effective service for rapidly evaluating the efficacy of oral care products.