Translucency of Human Dental Enamel

Abstract

Translucency of human dental enamel was determined by total transmittance of wavelengths from 400 to 700 nm. The transmission coefficient at 525 nm was 0.481 mm^-1. Total transmission of light through human dental enamel increased with increasing wavelength. Human tooth enamel is more translucent at higher wavelengths. The translucency of wet human enamel and enamel after dehydration was also measured by total transmittance. The transmission coefficient at 525 nm decreased from 0.482 to 0.313 mm^-1 after dehydration and was reversed on rehydration. The decrease in translucency occurred as a result of the replacement of water around the enamel prisms by air during dehydration.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Preston, J.D. : Color in Fixed Prosthodontics, Monograph, Los Angeles, CA: V. A. Wadsworth Hospital, 1974 , 18 p.

Culpepper, W.D. : A Comparative Study of Shade Matching Procedures , J Prosthet Dent 24:166-174, 1970.

Grajower, R. ; Revan, A. ; and Sorin, S. : Reflectance Spectra of Natural and Acrylic Resin Teeth, J Prosthet Dent 36: 570-579, 1976.

Dennison, J.B. ; Powers, J.M. ; and Koran, A. : Color of Dental Restorative Resins, JDent Res 57:557-562, 1978.

Dominkovic, T. : Total Reflectance in Tooth Substance and Diagnosis of Cracks in Teeth - A Clinical Study, Swed Dent J 1: 163-172, 1977.

Wright, G.Z. and Simon, I. : An Evaluation of Transillumination for Caries Detection in Primary Molars, J Dent Child 39 :199-202, 1972.

Barenie, J. ; Leske, G. ; and Ripa, L.W. : The Use of Fiber Optic Transillumination for Detection of Proximal Caries , Oral Surg 36:891-897, 1973.

Spitzer, D. and Ten Bosch, J.J. : The Absorption and Scattering of Light in Bovine and Human Enamel, Calcif Tiss Res 17 :129-137, 1975.

Morgan, J. : Introduction to Geometric and Physical Optics, New York : McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1953 .

10.

Brodbelt, R.H.W. ; O'Brien, W.J. ; and Fan , P.L. : Translucency of Dental Porcelains, J Dent Res 59:70-75, 1980.

11.

Ten Bosch, J.J. ; Boorsboom, P.C.F. ; and Ten Cate, J.M. : A Nondestructive Optical Method to Study De- and Re-mineralization of Enamel, J Dent Res Spec Iss B:1027, 1979.

12.

Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. : Biometry, San Francisco, CA: W. H. Freeman and Co., 1969 , p. 139.

13.

Houwink, B. : The Index of Refraction of Dental Enamel Apatite , Br Dent J 137 :472-475, 1974.