Effect of Heat on the Fluorescence Properties of Tooth-Colored Restorative Materials and Their Forensic Implications

Ramya Kiran, James Chapman, Marc Tennant, Alexander Forrest, Laurence J. Walsh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

During antemortem and postmortem comparison of dental records of carbonized victims, restorations may be part of such records. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of heat on the fluorescence behavior of contemporary tooth-colored restorative materials and natural tooth structure when subjected to range of temperatures, using illumination with 405 nm wavelength light. A total of 132 human extracted teeth restored with tooth-colored restorative materials were exposed to heat (200, 500, 900, 1200°C) in an oven for 30 min. Samples were imaged before and after heat treatment. All tooth-colored restorative materials underwent changes in color and in fluorescence properties, at each of the temperatures used. Resin-based restorative materials still fluoresced at 200°C, and at 500°C underwent major color changes due to volatilization of resin. Materials containing inorganic fluorophores still fluoresced at 900°C, while at 1200°C, none of the materials tested in this study showed any fluorescence.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1698-1706
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Forensic Sciences
Volume64
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2019

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