Fig. 4: Hardness of demineralized dentin after 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of artificial saliva/lactic acid regimen for: Control group, PAMAM group, NACP group, and PAMAM+NACP group.

Hardness of healthy dentin and acid-etched dentin were also measured as comparative controls. The NACP filler level was 40%. PAMAM and NACP each alone mildly increased the hardness of demineralized dentin. PAMAM+NACP achieved the most dentin remineralization, yielding the greatest increase in dentin hardness, which approached that of healthy dentin (P > 0.1). In each plot, dissimilar letters indicate significantly different values (P < 0.05). (Adapted from Liang et al.¹⁰¹ with permission.)