Morphological analysis of acid effects on extracted teeth and teeth with restorative materials

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the destruction capacity of various commonly used concentrated acids on natural teeth and teeth with restorative materials.

Methods: The present study was carried out in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, DJ College Of Dental Sciences and Research, Modinagar (U.P). One hundred and fifty (150) teeth extracted teeth used as samples for this study.

Results: It was found that the intact teeth when immersed in HCL acid showed fragmentation of the tooth at 2 hrs which was shown by 50 % of the samples and at 16 hrs there was complete dissolution of the tooth in 60% of the samples and by 24 hrs all the test samples showed complete dissolution. It was found that the intact teeth when immersed in Nitric acid  showed crumbling of the tooth at 2 hrs which was shown by 100 % of the samples whereas at 8hrs there was reduced tooth structure in all the samples at 16 hrs 90% of the samples showed complete dissolution and at 24 hrs 100% of the samples showed complete dissolution. It was found that the intact teeth when immersed in Sulphuric acid  showed fragmentation  of the tooth at 48 hrs which was shown by only  25% of the samples and at 256 hrs there was  complete dissolution of the tooth in all the test samples. The difference between the time intervals was statistically significant when analyzed using chi square test at p≤0.05.

Conclusion: As our study deals with morphological change observed in teeth and restoratives materials which can help forensic investigator to deduce the time elapsed since immersion of body in an acid. Human dentition can serve as great evidence when a person is affected with H2SO4. But if the bodies are immersed in the HCl or HNO3 it will be difficult to make a positive diagnosis with teeth as a factor.  The restorative materials recovered in such situations could be used as a prime factor when the teeth were completely dissolved or precipitated.