ISSN:
1432-0827
Keywords:
Laser-irradiated enamel
;
Apatite modifications
;
α-Tricalcium phosphate
;
Tetracalcium phosphate
;
Oxyhydroxyapatite
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
,
Physics
Notes:
Summary Tooth enamel laser irradiated under certain conditions previously has been shown to have reduced subsurface demineralization rates. Identification of these laser-induced changes has bearing on understanding the dissolution rate reduction mechanism; some of these changes, ones that occur in high temperature regions, were studied in this report. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy were used to identify changes in enamel of extracted intact human teeth subjected to high energy density (∼10,000 J/cm2) 10.6 µm wavelength carbon dioxide laser irradiance. The laser irradiance melted the enamel apatite; this solidified melt was composed of minor phases of α-tricalcium phosphate, α-Ca3(PO4)2, and tetracalcium phosphate, Ca4(PO4)2O, and a major phase of modified apatite. The apatite modifications, as compared with the original were (1) reductions in contents of water, protein, carbonate, and chloride (or chloride rearrangement); (2) essentially no change in apatite hydroxide content; (3) possible incorporation of oxide replacing some hydroxide ions; and (4) an uptake of traces of carbon dioxide and cyanate. An infrared band at 434 cm−1 that appears in spectra of hydroxyapatite partially dehydroxylated by thermal treatment was assigned to oxide translation. This band was utilized to search for oxide formation in the laser-irradiated tooth enamel.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02405347
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