Impact of thermal exposure on deciduous teeth: A comparative analysis with permanent teeth

Abstract

Children are particularly vulnerable to fatalities from fire incidents, and the crucial role of dentition in the identification processes is well known. Despite this, research on burned deciduous teeth is lacking, often assuming similarities with burned permanent teeth, disregarding their morphological and chemical distinctions. This goal of this study was to investigate the effect of burning on deciduous teeth, focusing on post-burning tooth color assessment. Sixty deciduous teeth were divided into two temperature groups (400 °C and 700 °C), each further subdivided into three burn time subgroups. Data from a prior study on permanent maxillary molars was also included for comparison. Using quantitative color analysis, differences in color measurements were observed between unburned and burned deciduous teeth, as well as between burn times, at both temperatures. Crown and root color variations were significant between temperatures for all burn times, however, no significant differences in color were noted between various burn times. When comparing deciduous and permanent teeth burned at 400 °C, the sole significant difference was in crown color. Contrarily, for teeth burned at 700 °C, the only significant difference was in root color. Graphical analysis indicated comparable color changes between post-burn deciduous and permanent teeth, despite the statistical differences. Significantly, all permanent teeth subjected to 700 °C demonstrated extensive enamel fragmentation, whereas such damage occurred in only half of the deciduous teeth samples. These observations indicate that despite similar color changes in deciduous and permanent teeth upon heating, variations in fragmentation patterns suggest that differences in morphology and microstructure influence the resilience of teeth to thermal exposure.