Study on Human Tooth Tissue by Polarization Microfluorometry in Nanosecond Region

人的牙齿由于紫外线的照射而发出荧光。研究了人牙齿的荧光特性与年龄和龋齿的关系。为了测量牙齿荧光的纳秒衰减特征，设计了一种配备空气放电灯和偏振光学系统的时间分辨荧光显微光谱仪。该灯发出具有高重复频率的非常短的持续时间的光;持续时间-0.9 ns fwhm和重复-7 kHz。结果表明，牙本质组织的荧光强度和荧光衰减曲线与年龄有关，随着年龄的增长，牙本质组织的荧光强度增加，荧光衰减时间缩短。这可能是由于荧光交联胶原蛋白（如吡啶啉）的逐渐成熟，随着年龄的增长而显着增加。龋坏牙釉质的荧光强度、各向异性和荧光衰减曲线与正常牙釉质相比更接近于羟基磷灰石。这些数据表明，釉质有机基质的量变和质变都可能影响荧光。龋齿组织。

Human teeth fluoresce as a result of illumination by UV-light. The fluorescence characteristics of human teeth were investigated with respect to aging and presence of caries. To measure nanosecond decay features of a tooth's fluorescence, a time-resolved fluorescence microspectrometer equipped with an air discharge lamp and polarization optics was devised. The lamp emits very short duration light with high repetition frequency ; duration-0.9 ns fwhm and repetition-7 kHz. Using this fluorometer, we found that the fluorescence intensity and fluorescence decay cuirve were age dependent in dentin tissue ; the fluorescence intensity increased and the fluorescence decay time decreased with increasing human age. This may result from a gradual maturation of fluorescent cross-linked collagen, such as pyridinoline, which increases markedly with age. The fluorescence intensity, anisotropy and fluorescence decay curves of caries enamel were more similar to that of hydroxyapatite than to the sound enamel. The data suggest that both quantitative and qualitative changes in the organic matrix of enamel may affect the fluorescence. of caries tissue.