Dispersion Staining, Dispersion, and Refractive Indices in Early Enamel Caries

Dispersion staining and the Becke Line Method were used to obtain refractive index values from undecalcified sections of 20 human tooth specimens that exhibited early carious lesions. Characteristic dispersion staining curves and dispersion curves for noncarious enamel, the zone of deepest penetration in carious enamel, and carious enamel external to the deepest zone, are presented.