Abstract
PurposeTo evaluate the effects of radiation therapy on deciduous teeth.Materials and methodsThe enamel and dentin microhardness (n = 12) was evaluated at 3 depths, both before (control) and after each 10 Gy of irradiation and up to a dose of 60 Gy. The morphology was evaluated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (n = 8). The data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test (α = 5%).ResultsThe enamel microhardness, as a whole, increased (p < 0.05) after a dose of 60 Gy (211.4 KH), mostly in the superficial enamel. There was a significant difference between the values of nonirradiated dentin microhardness (28.9 KH) compared with dentin that was irradiated with doses of 10 Gy (23.8 KH), 20 Gy (25.6 KH), 30 Gy (24.8 KH), and 40 Gy (25.7 KH) (p < 0.05). There was no difference between nonirradiated dentin and dentin irradiated with 60 Gy (p > 0.05). The highest mean value of microhardness (29.9 KH) (p < 0.05) was found in the middle dentin. The groups that were irradiated with doses of 30 and 60 Gy exhibited greater surface changes in their enamel and dentin compared with the nonirradiated groups for all regions, exhibiting an amorphous surface upon increase of the irradiation doses.ConclusionsThe enamel microhardness increased at a dose of 60 Gy, whereas the value of the dentin microhardness did not change. A progressive disruption of enamel and dentin morphology was found with the increased radiation dose.
Highlights
Head and neck cancers exist at high frequencies in the population, with an incidence of 500,000 new cases per year [1]
There was a significant difference between the values of nonirradiated dentin microhardness (28.9 Knoop hardness (KH)) compared with dentin that was irradiated with doses of 10 Gy (23.8 KH), 20 Gy (25.6 KH), 30 Gy (24.8 KH), and 40 Gy (25.7 KH) (p < 0.05)
The enamel microhardness increased at a dose of 60 Gy, whereas the value of the dentin microhardness did not change
Summary
Head and neck cancers exist at high frequencies in the population, with an incidence of 500,000 new cases per year [1]. Radiation-related caries or “radiation caries” is one of the highest indirect and late effects of radiation in the head and neck region [6]. This complication is a complex and destructive disease that causes severe destruction of the tooth enamel and dentin in head and neck-irradiated patients [5,7,8] and has negative effects on their quality of de Siqueira Mellara et al Radiation Oncology 2014, 9:30 http://www.ro-journal.com/content/9/1/30 life [8]. Scientific evidence indicates that patients incur a lifelong risk of developing radiation caries following radiation therapy [7]
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