Abstract
PurposeThe aim of this study was to quantify surface roughness of carious dentine using noncontact optical profilometry (NCOP) in vitro.MethodsA total of 20 extracted teeth with root caries were examined according to clinical assessment criteria. NCOP (Proscan 2000, Scantron, Taunton, UK) was used to carry out the surface roughness measurements in vitro. Selection of sampling rate measurements were subsequently performed.ResultsResults showed that the surface roughness (Ra) values were most accurately obtained at a sampling rate of 30 Hz. All lesions had rough texture, with cavitation ranging from 0.5 to 4 mm. Most lesions were leathery, whilst remaining few were soft. There was a significant difference in surface roughness between the carious and sound dentine (p < 0.05). Pearson’s correlation coefficient tests failed to show any significant linear correlation between surface roughness measurements and cavitation (r 0.39; p > 0.05) whilst there was a significant correlation between the hardness and surface roughness (r 0.47, p = 0.04). There was an inverse relationship trend between surface roughness measurements and severity of root caries.ConclusionsThere are limitations due to the sophisticated layout of collage network within the root carious dentine especially cavitated lesions. The NCOP could be considered for the quantification of surface roughness on noncavitated carious dentine in a laboratory setting.Clinical significanceThe effect of different oral health care products on root caries using the NCOP without causing any potential damage to the noncavitated root surface could be assessed prior to the large-scale clinical studies.
Highlights
Root caries is an increasing clinical problem in ageing population
Irregular texture of root caries can make surface roughness measurements challenging with various artefacts
The results showed that the slower frequency, (30 Hz) provided scans with least missing data when compared to other sample rates (100, 300 and 1000 Hz) for root caries and sound dentine
Summary
Root caries is an increasing clinical problem in ageing population. Over the last 25 years, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15% in 1983 to 16% in 2008, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UKIstanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, Beyazıt, İstanbul, Turkey an increase of 1.5 million people in this age group [1]. Root caries is an increasing clinical problem in ageing population. Over the last 25 years, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15% in 1983 to 16% in 2008, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. Istanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, Beyazıt, İstanbul, Turkey an increase of 1.5 million people in this age group [1]. Root caries remains a dental burden for older people in the twentyfirst century and a challenge to most clinicians. Texture identification is extensively used by clinicians to aid in the determination of root caries and its activity [4]. Tactile sensation using a blunt probe is to feel the tug back as a sign of the presence of dental caries. Due to the structural differences in coronal and root caries, coronal caries is more likely to be confidently diagnosed at an earlier stage than root caries using visual/tactile methods [4]
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