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Lasers Med Sci (2015) 30:11891196 DOI 10.1007/s10103-014-1541-4
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Characterization of transparent dentin in attrited teeth using optical coherence tomography
Mona M. Mandurah & Alireza Sadr & Turki A. Bakhsh &
Yasushi Shimada & Yasunori Sumi & Junji Tagami
Received: 20 August 2013 /Accepted: 3 February 2014 /Published online: 16 February 2014 # Springer-Verlag London 2014
Abstract Attrition and wear of tooth surface occur with aging and result in loss of enamel, with exposure and histo-logical changes in dentin. Dealing with attrited teeth and restoration of the lost tissue are clinically challenging. The main objective of this study is to characterize the exposed transparent dentin in the occlusal surface of attrited teeth by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Naturally attrited, extracted human teeth with occlusal-transparent dentin were
investigated in comparison to sound and carious teeth. The teeth were subjected to OCT imaging and then cross-sectioned and polished. OCT B-scans were compared to light microscopy images of the same cross section. In OCT images, some changes were evident at the transparent dentin in attrited teeth. An OCT attenuation coefficient parameter (t)
was derived based on the Beer-Lambert law as a function of backscatter signal slope. The mean values of t were 1.05
0.3, 2.230.4, and 0.610.27 mm1 for sound, carious, and transparent dentins, respectively. One-way ANOVA with Tukeys post-hoc showed a significant difference between groups (p<0.05). Physiological changes in transparent dentin that involve deposition of mineral casts in the dentinal tubules lead to lower attenuation of OCT signal. OCT has a potential role to detect transparent dentin on the surface of attrited teeth and can be used in the future as a clinical adjunct tool.
Keywords Attrition . Transparent dentin . SS-OCT . Attenuation coefficient
Introduction
With aging, attrition and wear of enamel and dentin surfaces may occur due to prolonged friction of the opposing teeth, causing loss of enamel outer layer and exposure of the dentin tissue. The underlying dentin beneath worn-out enamel will undergo pathological and physiological alterations. This altered substrate has been called sclerotic or transparent dentin. The latter terminology is only an optical phenomenon produced by crystalline deposits in the dentin tubules. The formation of this type of dentin is thought to be a natural protective response to the irritation which partly includes...