2018 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 103-108
Polychromatic radiation is a method of measuring errors in hard tissue and is generally used for micro-CT. The study aims to estimate the age by non-destructive observation of hypercalcified dentin using monochromatic radiation x-ray micro-CT (MR-µCT) in synchrotron radiation facility (SPring 8 by RIKEN, Hyogo) eliminating the effects of beam hardening and scattered radiation. We confirmed the mineral density concordance ratio with MR-µCT and CMR. Using MR-µCT, we also investigated the relationship between hypercalcified dentin and age. The mineral density concordance rate in MR-µCT and CMR image was obtained in 44 human teeth by comparing the brightness values. The images of hypercalcified dentin were set for CMR and micro-CT after extracting from MR-µCT and the relationship between age and elapsed time years after root completion was investigated. Results showed a mineral density concordance rate of 90% or more in all samples. Hypercalcification of dentin positively correlated with age and also with elapsed time. However, the increase in values slowed down at over 40 years and after tooth eruption over 31 years. The results suggest that age estimation using hypercalcified dentin is possible through micro-CT.
