µXRF Analysis of Traces and Calcium-Phosphate Phases on Tooth-Tartar Interfaces using Synchrotron Radiation

J. ABRAHAM; M.S. GRENÓN; H. J. SÁNCHEZ; M.C. VALENTINUZZI; C. A. PÉREZ

SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART B-ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2007 vol. 62 p. 689 - 694

0584-8547

Hard dental tissues like dentine and cementum with calcified deposits (dental calculi) were studied in several human dental pieces of adultindividuals from the same geographic region. A couple of cross cuts were performed at dental root level resulting in a planar slice with calculus anddental tissue exposed for analysis. The elemental content along a linear path crossing the dentine–cementum–tartar interfaces and also all over asurface was measured by X-ray fluorescence microanalysis using synchrotron radiation (μSRXRF). The concentration of elemental traces like K, V,Cu, Zn, As, Br and Sr showed different features on the analyzed regions. The possible connections with the dynamic of mineralization and biologicalimplications are discussed. The concentrations of major elements Ca and P were also determined and the measured Ca/P molar ratio was used toestimate the average composition of calcium phosphate phases in the measured points. A deeper knowledge of the variations of the elementalcompositions and the changes of the different phases will help to a better understanding of the scarcely known mechanism of calculus growing.© 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.