Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Sampling and Pretreatment of Tooth Enamel Carbonate for Stable Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Analysis
Published on: August 15, 2018
Carbon determination in human teeth by activation with He-3 ions
1Department of Medical Physics, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract:
A nuclear analytical method, involving activation with 3He ions, was developed to determine carbon content in human teeth with well-documented histories. The tooth samples were irradiated with 2.7-MeV3He particles at 50 nA intensity, and the activity of 14O induced through the reaction 12C(3He, n)14O, determined by counting the 2.31-MeV gammas. Different dental hard tissues were studied separately. A solid piece of silver steel, the carbon content of which was accurately determined by chemical means, was used as the standard. The carbon content in different teeth varied from 4-7%. The overall experimental accuracy was better than 4.5%.
Related Concept Videos
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
Carbon-13 (¹³C) NMR: Overview
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...

