title: Optical characteristics of human extracted teeth and the possible application of photoplethysmography to the human pulp.
abstract: In order to record pulp blood flow by photoplethysmography, the light transmission properties of extracted human teeth and human peripheral blood at wavelengths between 400 and 800 nm were first investigated. Transmission through peripheral blood and extracted teeth was lower at wavelengths shorter than 600 nm. Transmitted-light photoplethysmography (TLP) was applied to teeth in situ using a tungsten light, or one of two light-emitting diodes (LED) with peak wavelengths of 565 and 695 nm. A CdS-CdSe photoconductive cell was used as a detector. The LED with a peak intensity at 565 nm was the most efficient of the three light sources for recording the TLP. The results indicate that the TLP could be used to assess pulp vitality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Tohoku University School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001769:Blood; D002104:Cadmium; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D017156:Photoplethysmography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012643:Selenium; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013455:Sulfur; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014172:Transillumination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014414:Tungsten
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D013455:Sulfur; D012643:Selenium; D014414:Tungsten