Neutron tomography of carious teeth before and after treatment with hydrosilicate cement

Dental caries results in the breakdown of tooth structure. It is caused by bacteria
adherent to the tooth that ferment carbohydrates in the diet. Clinical management of
dental caries involves the removal of the demineralized tooth structure followed by
dressing and restoration of the tooth.
The materials that are placed over the freshly prepared dentine are bioactive. These
materials have a calcium silicate chemistry and interact with the dentine to form
hydroxyapatite. The extent of the remineralisation is unknown. Furthermore there is
considerable technical difficulty in assessing the tooth to material interface as the
techniques used distort the dental hard tissues.
The aim of this proposal is to use neutron tomography to characterise the carious teeth before and after treatment with hydraulic cement.