RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Pulpal response to tooth preparation is a major concern in fixed prosthodontics. Research has suggested that 2mm or more of remaining dentine is critical in protecting the pulp following tooth preparation. However, clinicians have no means of knowing dentine thickness either before or after preparation and therefore lack feedback about this important aspect of preparation quality. The aim of this project was to develop a method for measuring local dentine thickness following tooth preparation for metal ceramic crowns, in vitro, which could be used as a tool to evaluate preparation technique and instrumentation. METHODS: Microtomography (XMT or micro-CT) scans were taken of extracted teeth before and after crown preparation. Local dentine thickness was defined for every voxel within the 3D tooth image as the sum of distances from that voxel to the pulp and to the anatomical surface. The method also allows the thickness of material removed to be quantified. Three-dimensional colour-coded maps of dentine thickness were generated, and the distributions of dentine thickness throughout the teeth were analysed. This was tested by a single operator on sixteen extracted upper central incisors. RESULTS: This method enabled clear visualisation and analysis of residual dentine thickness. In the trial, it revealed consistent over-prepared regions along the labial proximal line angles which, in a clinical case, could affect subsequent tooth and restoration longevity. All but one of the prepared teeth had regions with a residual dentine thickness of less than 1.5mm, in 6 it was less than 1.0mm and in 3 of these it was less than 0.5mm. CONCLUSION: Although ex vivo, this method can be used as a research tool to look for patterns of over- or under-preparation, leading to possible modification of technique, instrumentation and, or crown design. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is not currently possible for clinicians to know the thickness of residual dentine following crown preparation, a key factor in long term outcome. The described method of quantifying and visualising this thickness allows preparation techniques and instrumentation to be evaluated in vitro, leading to prospective improvements in clinical procedures.