Confocal laser scanning microscopy and area-scale analysis used to quantify enamel surface textural changes from citric acid demineralization and salivary remineralization in vitro

Highlights • We characterize optical and mechanical properties of enamel surfaces during erosion and remineralization. • 3D imaging of enamel surfaces undergoing erosive wear requires instrumentation with lateral resolution significantly less than 5 μm. • 3D surface texture parameters are able to successfully characterize textural changes in enamel during erosive demineralization and salivary remineralization. • The role of surface texture in remineralization is less clear but suggests that in vivo remineralized lesions remain rougher despite the surface microhardness recovering to baseline levels.