Diagnostic Application of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy – Attenuated Total Reflectance in Dental Caries - An In vitro Study

Abstract

Purpose: The study is to analyse the significance of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) in detecting the dental caries in human extracted teeth. The molecular information about collagen and hydroxyapatite structural changes associated with enamel, dentin, pulp of human tooth can be obtained using FTIR. Materials and Methods: Forty extracted tooth samples were obtained and divided into four groups as non-carious teeth, early carious teeth, advance carious teeth, carious deciduous teeth. Carious and non-carious tooth enamel, dentin, and pulp was analysed using FTIR-ATR. Results: The FTIR absorption spectrum reveals that carious teeth contained ester groups which is detected in higher amount when compared with sound tooth and also the intensity of absorbances increases with carious tooth. Conclusion: The study reveals that the ester group are important and unique to carious tooth and can be used as diagnostic tool in caries detection and for forensic evidence.