title: A portable fiber-optic raman spectrometer concept for evaluation of mineral content within enamel tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Measurement of tooth enamel mineralization using a clinically viable method is essential since variation of mineralization may be used to monitor caries risk or in assessing the effectiveness of remineralization therapy. Fiber optic Raman systems are becoming more affordable and popular in context of biomedical applications. However, the applicability of fiber optic Raman systems for measurement of mineral content within enamel tissue has not been elucidated significantly in the prior literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human teeth with varying degrees of enamel mineralization were selected. In addition alligator, boar and buffalo teeth which have increasing amount of mineral content, respectively, were also included as another set of samples. Reference Raman measurements of mineralization were performed using a high-fidelity confocal Raman microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of human teeth by research grade Raman system indicated a 2-fold difference in the Raman intensities of v1 symmetric-stretch bands of mineral-related phosphate bonds and 7-fold increase in mineral related Raman intensities of animal teeth. However, fiber optic system failed to resolve the differences in the mineralization of human teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that the sampling volume of fiber optic systems extends to the underlying dentin and that confocal aperture modification is essential to limit the sampling volume to within the enamel. Further research efforts will focus on putting together portable Raman systems integrated with confocal fiber probe.Key words:Enamel, mineral content, raman spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: PhD, CWRU School of Dental Medicine, 2124 Cornell Road, Cleveland, OH 44106-4905.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akkus
authors.affiliation: PhD, Jackson State University, Department of Physics, Atmospheric Science and Geophysics, 1400 John R. Lynch St Jackson, MS 39217.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: DDS, MSc, PhD, CWRU School of Dental Medicine, 2124 Cornell Road, Cleveland, OH 44106-4905.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roperto
authors.affiliation: PhD, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave.Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7222.
authors.forename: Hathem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.affiliation: DDS, MBA, CWRU School of Dental Medicine, 2124 Cornell Road, Cleveland, OH 44106-4905.
authors.forename: Sorin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teich
authors.affiliation: PhD, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave.Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7222.
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akkus