Etching Teeth

[NCE]

Hey, I am a printmaking major wondering how to etch teeth for an upcoming project? I know soda wont really dissolve a tooth, but what if I added citric or nitric acid? Or can either of those etch a tooth fast enough to give you a clean line (I'll be using some kind of resist like a hard ground and drawing into it like a copper plate etching)? Also, what about hydrochloric acid? There was a thread asking how to dissolve a body, or something, and someone had mentioned hydrochloric acid, if so what kinda of density would it need to be at? Right now, the hydrochloric I have, I use for copper, would this be a problem, from what I have been told you cant mix different metals like copper and zinc in the same baths?


Thanks,
NCE

[cosmictraveler]

Invented in 1955, acid-etching employs dental etchants and is used frequently when bonding dental restoration to teeth. This is important for long-term use of some materials, such as composites and sealants. By dissolving minerals in enamel, etchants remove the outer 10 micrometers on the enamel surface and make a porous layer 5–50 micrometers deep.This roughens the enamel microscopically and results in a greater surface area on which to bond.

The effects of acid-etching on enamel can vary. Important variables are the amount of time the etchant is applied, the type of etchant used, and the current condition of the enamel.

There are three types of patterns formed by acid-etching.Type 1 is a pattern where predominantly the enamel rods are dissolved; type 2 is a pattern where predominantly the area around the enamel rods are dissolved; and type 3 is a pattern where there is no evidence left of any enamel rods. Besides concluding that type 1 is the most favorable pattern and type 3 the least, the explanation for these different patterns is not known for certain but is most commonly attributed to different crystal orientation in the enamel.