Chemical and morphological studies of the acquired pellicle formed subgingivally on dentin in vivo.

The morphological appearance and chemical composition of the subgingival pellicle were studied, using Auger analysis and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. A pellicle was formed on pieces of dentin (2 X 2 X 1 mm), prepared from freshly extracted teeth after root planing. The dentin slabs were inserted for 2 h into healthy gingival sulci. Control slabs cemented supragingivally were used for comparison. The results confirmed the presence of an organic film on the surface of all slabs. Auger analysis of the organic film showed the presence of Ca in the supragingival integument but not in the subgingival integument. The subgingival pellicle was in all cases thicker than the supragingival pellicle. The transmission and scanning electron microscopy observations confirmed the presence of a film essentially free of bacteria on the subgingival specimens and also indicated a possible morphological difference between the supra- and sub-gingival pellicle.