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.