Mapping tooth microcracks by combining X-ray tomography and photoluminescence

Mapping tooth microcracks by combining X-ray tomography and photoluminescence | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Mapping tooth microcracks by combining X-ray tomography and photoluminescence Irma Dumbryte, Donatas Narbutis, Maria Androulidaki, Edvinas Skliutas, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5981675/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Although teeth microcracks (MCs) were recently characterized in three-dimensions (3D), it is still unknown whether there are changes in the tooth material within the MC compared to the uncracked enamel. Thus, spectral analysis of the cracked area could provide information on the composition of the material along the crack line. However, this is followed by the major methodological challenge – to find the same MC using different methods. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the same crack-affected and pristine tooth regions by combining X-ray µCT with photoluminescence (PL) and to assess the structural integrity of the extracted human teeth along the very same MC. The samples were first examined using an X-ray µCT. Secondly, buccal and palatal surfaces with visible cracks and pristine areas were used to obtain fluorescence spectra excited at 325 nm. In total 192 PL spectra were detected for each sample: 96 from visible MCs from the buccal and palatal surfaces and 96 from the pristine regions on the adjacent areas. The X-ray µCT technique allowed the accurate identification of the cracks that were analysed by PL using the 3D mesh structure developed. The 3D mesh structure created to overlap the outer enamel surface of the tooth served as a link between the 3D X-ray and spectral images to identify the same crack locality and to qualitatively assess the structural integrity along the crack line, using two complimentary techniques. This is opening a clinically viable spectro-spatial identification of the location of the damaged tooth material. Dentistry Biomaterials Optics/Lasers Spectroscopy Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 3D imaging enamel damage laser machine learning remineralization spectral imaging tooth integrity Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files Supplementaryinformation.pdf Suppl. Figure S1. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5981675","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":412630260,"identity":"260d557e-154b-48b0-a662-390f451d5b52","order_by":0,"name":"Irma Dumbryte","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACNhhpAGZUMPCD6QdEamFsYDjDINkAEkhIIMIusBbGNiK08EmfTvzAUHY42lz6jPmDj/O2STBI5BgwJP7AYz5f7mYJhnOHc3f25Rg2ztx2G6IFny1sPLwbJBjbDuduOMNj2My77XYdA88Zglo2/4Br+TsHaAsRWrYhbGFsAGph7yGsxSLhXHruzh62wpk9x25LsLG3FRxISMOtRb6Hd/OND2XWudt5mDd8+FFzW4KfmXnjgw82uLWAAcQVHJAEAIrcAwQ0wAD7AyIVjoJRMApGwUgDAG1HTgeQ38D8AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9930-325X","institution":"Institute of Odontology, Vilnius University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Irma","middleName":"","lastName":"Dumbryte","suffix":""},{"id":412630429,"identity":"e37946c4-c3c4-4470-aaf8-1eca68bad215","order_by":1,"name":"Donatas Narbutis","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1389-1933","institution":"Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, Vilnius University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Donatas","middleName":"","lastName":"Narbutis","suffix":""},{"id":412630683,"identity":"decb4d58-8041-41a7-99df-db7e54acd2f1","order_by":2,"name":"Maria Androulidaki","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Electronic Structure \u0026 Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology FORTH-Hellas","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maria","middleName":"","lastName":"Androulidaki","suffix":""},{"id":412631225,"identity":"df71980d-d676-415a-a923-aadc5f1fe178","order_by":3,"name":"Edvinas Skliutas","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Laser Research Center, Vilnius University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Edvinas","middleName":"","lastName":"Skliutas","suffix":""},{"id":412631226,"identity":"75153191-80da-4275-998b-35510d7363da","order_by":4,"name":"Elena Jasiuniene","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ultrasound Research Institute, Kaunas University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Elena","middleName":"","lastName":"Jasiuniene","suffix":""},{"id":412631227,"identity":"33b9fe73-589e-4a83-ac6d-44f190f339e3","order_by":5,"name":"Saulius Juodkazis","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Optical Sciences Centre and ARC Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM), School of Science, Swinburne University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Saulius","middleName":"","lastName":"Juodkazis","suffix":""},{"id":412631228,"identity":"7f4566ab-0b11-498e-896d-1a6cd92f7c85","order_by":6,"name":"Mangirdas Malinauskas","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6937-4284","institution":"Laser Research Center, Vilnius University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mangirdas","middleName":"","lastName":"Malinauskas","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-02-07 13:47:05","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5981675/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5981675/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":75870827,"identity":"25f5f117-0d5d-4499-8978-e6cb0e8cf7e8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-10 06:57:57","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":760208,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5981675/v1_covered_15675f2a-349d-442a-8184-e6c4249bc2f9.pdf"},{"id":75869236,"identity":"47fa467d-350f-431c-9a5d-244106feb872","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-10 06:49:55","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":144168,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSuppl. 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