Applications of PIXE to studies in dental and mental healths

Abstract

The elemental composition of healthy and diseased teeth from 25 South Australian children have been determined using thick-target PIXE analysis. Different dental hard tissues, namely enamel, dentine, cementum and the amelodentinal junction, were analysed independently. A number of elements, Na, Mg, Al, P, S, Cl, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr and Pb have been detected, and their concentrations measured. The concentrations of some of the elements were found to vary considerably between: (a) healthy and diseased teeth, (b) teeth of the same type, and (c) different parts of the same tooth. Attempts have been made to correlate the concentrations of the various elements with the health of the teeth. In a pilot study, PIXE has also been applied for Pb analysis in the teeth of a few mentally retarded children. The teeth of all the children, with the exception of one who was suffering from Downe's syndrome, were found to contain appreciable amounts of lead. It is suggested that PIXE would provide a more convenient and accurate form of analysis than destructive chemical methods, for correlating Pb in children's teeth with their mental abilities.