Use of optical microscopy for evaluation of tooth structure

Purpose: There are many methods of examining tooth anatomy: some of them are applicable to the hard tissues, while others to the pulp and the root canal system. Every method has some advantages and disadvantages in terms of revealing specific anatomical or histological details of the tooth. The objective of the present work was to assess the use of macroscopic microscopy for evaluation of tooth anatomy and to compare the obtained images with those produced by the radiovisiographic method. Design/methodology/approach: The study involved 4 upper canines extracted for periodontal reasons from patients of different age and sex. Initially, radiological images were taken in the vestibular-lingual and lateral projections by the radiovisiographic method using a KODAK 2000 system with a KODAK 6100 sensor. Subsequently, the specimens were ground with sandpaper and consecutive dental cross-sections were captured at approximately 0.05 mm increments using a NIKON AZ100 multizoom microscope. Findings: The presented method, using side illumination and a digital capture device transferring the images to a computer, enables evaluation of tooth anatomy in terms of both shape and internal structure, and offers the dimensioning functionality. Practical implications: Optical microscopy is a cheap method of examining the hard tissues of the tooth, including restorative materials, and for evaluating the development of primary and secondary dentin, as well as dentin affected by bacterial infection. A microscope used in conjunction with good software provides many opportunities for easy examination and dimensioning of particular anatomical features of the tooth on consecutive planes. Originality/value: This is an honest methods review and analysis which are applied in modern prosthetics.