Abstract
Radiotherapy is a frequently used treatment for oral cancer. Extensive research has been conducted to detect the mechanical properties of dental hard tissues after irradiation at the macroscale. However, little is known about the influence of irradiation on the tribological properties of enamel at the micro- or nanoscale. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of gamma irradiation on the wear behaviour of human tooth enamel in relation to prism orientation. Nanoscratch tests, surface profilometer and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis were used to evaluate the friction behaviour of enamel slabs before and after treatment with identical irradiation procedures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed to analyse the changes in crystallography and chemical composition induced by irradiation. Surface microhardness (SMH) alteration was also evaluated. The results showed that irradiation resulted in different scratch morphologies, friction coefficients and remnant depth and width at different loads. An inferior nanoscratch resistance was observed independent of prism orientation. Moreover, the variation of wear behaviours was closely related to changes in the crystallography, chemical composition and SMH of the enamel. Together, these measures indicated that irradiation had a direct deleterious effect on the wear behaviour of human tooth enamel.
Highlights
Gamma irradiation therapy on the wear resistance of enamel
No debris was found before irradiation (Fig. 1a3), while an obvious scratch with a small amount of debris at the edges of the scratch trace appeared after irradiation (Fig. 1a4)
At the end of the scratch, more partial packing occurred with an increase in the load prior to irradiation (Fig. 1a7), and delaminations were observed at the edge of the scratch after irradiation (Fig. 1a8)
Summary
Gamma irradiation therapy on the wear resistance of enamel. The microstructural organization and relative composition of the organic, mineral, and water phases determine the mechanical properties of mineralized dental structures. Little is known about the relationship between these factors and the tribological properties of enamel before and after irradiation. We proposed, as the null hypothesis, that gamma irradiation has no effect on the tribological properties of enamel in terms of crystallinity, grain size and chemical component changes
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