Radiation's effect on dental structures and caries induction in patients with head and neck cancer: Consequences for restorative therapy

Radiation-induced caries is the most frequent adverse reaction for patients undergoing radiation treatment for neck and head malignancies. An understanding of how radiation exposure alters tooth structure can lead to the advancement of robust and efficient restorative dentistry approaches. In this work, chemical compositions along with microstructural characteristics of radiation-induced caries-affected dentin have been contrasted to those of both radiation-irradiated and healthy dentin. The specimens of radiation-affected carious dentin and surrounding irradiated dentin were obtained from patients undergoing radiation treatment. The control group in this work included healthy dentin that had not been exposed to radiation. Numerous techniques, including energy-dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy; have been used to study the specimens. Different levels of microstructural degradation were seen in groups of carious and irradiated dentin, according to scanning electron microscopy. An investigation using energy-dispersive spectroscopy revealed that the carious in addition to irradiated dentin groups had higher quantities of Carbon (with P < 0.05). By contrast, the control group's Calcium and Phosphorus levels were significantly higher (with P < 0.05). In X-ray diffraction analysis, irradiated dentin along with carious dentin samples lacked the (1-1-2) and (3-0-0) peaks, and in Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, the carbonate peaks were less prominent. Radiation exposure may decrease hydroxyapatite concentrations, resulting in variable degrees of demineralization as well as degeneration since both irradiated and carious dentin show morphological and chemical changes.