Measurement uncertainty associated with chromatic confocal profilometry for 3D surface texture characterization of natural human enamel

Optical surface texture measurement and characterization of dental hard tissues are becoming increasingly used within dentistry as a method for detecting and quantifying early enamel damage resulting from common oral pathologies such as dental erosion [1,2]. When quantifying the micro-texture of enamel surface damage, the earliest signs of wear occur at the scale of an enamel prism. Accordingly, recent research into nanometer scale surface changes of polished human enamel using confocal laser microscopy concluded that optimal characterization of acid mediated surface texture changes requires surface metrology instrumentation with lateral resolution less than 2.5 μm [3].
Source: Dental Materials - Category: Materials Science Authors: Source Type: research