This in-vitro study assessed the influence of the shade of human teeth on the transmission of near-infrared light. A total of 40 teeth were used. After cleaning the root surface and removing cementum, the teeth were sectioned into slices 3 mm thick, with each comprising a portion of the crown (enamel-dentine (ED)) and of the root (dentine only). The shade of the crown and the root was measured using a digital spectrophotometer. All samples were irradiated using 660, 808, or 904 nm diode lasers, and a multi-wavelength LED light source (700–1100 nm, Nuralyte®). Using a laser power meter, the percent transmission was calculated. Differences between Vita shade groups A, B, and C were analysed using ANOVA and post-hoc tests. Overall, dentine samples showed approximately 40% greater transmission than samples of enamel and dentine. There were significant influences for shade group and for sample thickness on the transmission of 660 nm light (P < 0.01), but not for other light sources. There was a statistically significant influence of light source on transmission. Across both crown and root samples, the ranking for light transmission from greatest to least was LED (700–1100 nm) > (904 nm = 808 nm) > 660 nm. Within the range from 660 to 1100 nm, the longer wavelengths are transmitted better by both enamel and dentine. The transmission of visible red light (660 nm) was affected by Vita tooth shade, while the transmission of near infrared light (700–1100 nm) was not affected by Vita shade.
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