Table of Contents

Abstract

Utilization of impedance measuring methods in dental researches makes the determination of electrical properties of human tooth possible. Although impedance measurement forms the basis of numerous oral diagnostic methods, limited studies are available about the impedance of human dentin. In this paper the thickness dependency of the impedance of human dentin is investigated.

Dentin disks were prepared from dentin layer of the crown between the top of pulp and below dentin-enamel junction of five human wisdom teeth. Separated and isolated round shaped measurement areas were created on the surface of the specimens with diameter of 1 mm. The samples were thinned sequentially while the thickness and the complex impedance of each measurement area was recorded.

Investigation of the impedance of human dentin in the thickness range of 0.3-2.3 mm allowed us to define the thickness-impedance coefficient of human dentin, as the absolute impedance value divided by the thickness and multiplied by the area of the examined dentin. The average of the thickness-impedance coefficient is equal to 8.356 Ωm at 1 kHz measurement frequency.

Approximately linear correlation between the thickness and the impedance of human dentin was revealed. These results may have significance in the field of clinical dentistry.

Keywords: bioengineering, electrical impedance spectrum, dentin thickness, human dentin