Quantitative examination of demineralized and remineralized dental lesions using photothermal radiometry and modulated luminescence
2010
The development of photothermal techniques to detect thermal waves in biological tissue has occurred with a
concomitant advancement in the extraction of material thermophysical properties and knowledge regarding the internal
structure of a medium. Human molars (n=37) were subjected to demineralization in acid gel (pH 4.5, 10 days), followed
by incubation in different fluoride-containing remineralization solutions. PTR-LUM frequency scans (1 Hz - 1 kHz)
were performed prior to and during demineralization and remineralization treatments. Transverse Micro-Radiography
(TMR) analysis followed at treatment conclusion. A coupled diffuse-photon-density-wave and thermal-wave theoretical
model was used to quantitatively evaluate changes in thermal and optical properties of sound, demineralized and
remineralized enamel. Amplitude increase and phase lag decrease in demineralized samples were consistent with higher
scatter of the diffuse-photon density field and thermal wave confinement to near-surface regions. A remineralized
sample illustrates a complex interplay between surface and subsurface processes, confining the thermal-wave centroid
toward the dominating layer. PTR-LUM sensitivity to changes in tooth mineralization coupled with optical and thermal
property extraction illustrates the technique's potential for non-destructive evaluation of multi-layered turbid media.
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