A resin embedding method for transparent teeth with ink-infiltrated pulp cavities.

This study was designed to evaluate whether resin embedded transparent teeth are as convenient to use as classical transparent teeth. For this purpose demineralized human teeth were divided into coronal and radical portions, and pulp tissue was extracted from the pulp chamber and root canals, into which drawing ink was injected. After dehydration, the specimens were made transparent in methyl salicylate and immersed in polyester resin. The divided portions were recombined at the polymerization. The resin embedded teeth maintained transparency and the black-stained pulp chamber and root canals showed morphological details. The resin embedded specimens could be handled manually and observed freely from any angle. Previously, transparent teeth have been observed in transparent media through a capped glass bottle. In this respect the resin embedding method is superior to the classical method. The new method will be helpful for investigating root canal morphology.