Methods for Monitoring Erosion Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Area of Science:

• Dental research
• Biomaterials science

Background:

• Tooth erosion is a significant dental concern.
• Monitoring enamel erosion is crucial for effective treatment.
• Existing in vitro methods lack in vivo applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore novel in vivo methods for monitoring enamel erosion.
• To evaluate the efficacy of laser treatment as an erosion-resistant layer.
• To assess the feasibility of measuring remaining enamel thickness.

Main Methods:

• Investigated two in vivo approaches for monitoring enamel erosion.
• Measured remaining enamel thickness from tooth surface to dentinal-enamel junction (DEJ).
• Irradiated enamel surfaces with a carbon dioxide laser to create an erosion-resistant reference layer.

Main Results:

• Measuring remaining enamel thickness was challenging due to surface roughening and subsurface demineralization.
• Laser-irradiated areas exhibited reduced erosion rates compared to non-irradiated areas.
• The laser treatment approach showed promise but was dependent on acid challenge severity.

Conclusions:

• Laser treatment offers a potential in vivo method for monitoring enamel erosion.
• Further research is needed to optimize laser treatment for varying acid challenge levels.
• Optical coherence tomography is a valuable tool for assessing dental erosion.