Density measurements of dentin by dual-energy radiography

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to apply the dual-energy radiographic technique to teeth and to soft tissue simulated with Lucite and report the visual and quantitative results.Study designHigh- and low-energy image pairs were exposed of aluminum and Lucite calibration wedges and human teeth sections. Reconstructed images of the calibration wedges and teeth sections were viewed and measured.ResultsThe aluminum reconstruction images accentuated the aluminum wedge and the teeth, whereas the Lucite reconstruction images minimized them. Correlations between the nominal direct and dual-energy measurements of the wedges and teeth thicknesses were found to be very good. The root-mean-square deviation of the dual-energy reconstructions from the measured nominal thicknesses was found to be no greater than 0.6 mm.ConclusionThese results demonstrate the feasibility of using dual energy as a means of selective cancellation of unwanted tissues and the measurement of posterior tooth density.